Food and beverage products that support healthy diets and weight loss are among the world's fastest growing, according to a global study done by ACNielsen.
Of the seven categories that experienced double-digit revenue growth in the last year, five offered perceived health or weight loss benefits. The top two growth categories were soya-based drinks and drinkable yoghurts.
In the Asia-Pacific region, soya-based drinks grew by 44 per cent.
Prepared alcoholic beverages, identified as the fastest growing category in 2002 at 33 per cent, grew only by two per cent in 2004. Frozen fish and seafood also dropped from the list growing only by four per cent in 2004 as compared with 10 per cent in 2002.
New categories include eggs, which grew by 16 per cent in 2004 as compared with six per cent in 2002, cereal by 14 per cent (9 per cent), sports/energy drinks by 10 per cent (6 per cent).
In the Asia-Pacific region, the overall growth for food and beverages across the board was five per cent.
"Growth was much stronger in some of the smaller, less developed economic regions," ACNielsen said.
In the emerging markets region, the growth rate was 10 per cent.
The Indian branded food and beverages market grew by over five per cent. "A closer study of what's moving off retail shop shelves in India indicates key leading trends that are bound to dictate the medium- to long-term trend in the Indian market," the report said.