Coconut and chocolate show off their functional side
The latest innovation insight from Gama Compass™
MANCHESTER – 30th April 2015: The evolution of coconut and chocolate as key ingredients in functional products is Gama’s theme this week, as we look at a “superfood” beverage that brings together raw cacao beans and cold pressed coconut in a new “nutrient rich” product - Rau Chocolate and Coconut Cacao Superfood Drink.
An extension to the line of “world first” cacao superfood drinks first launched in the US by Rau in 2012, Rau Chocolate and Coconut Cacao Superfood Drink is a further example of the growth of unprocessed, ‘raw’ ingredients in functional food and drinks. Described as being made with cold pressed raw coconut and low glycemic, unrefined organic coconut palm sugar combined with single-origin, “ethically-sourced” organic Ecuadorian raw cacao beans, the drink is “High Pressure Processed to protect the flavor and nutritional benefits of the superfood cacao bean” and claims to “re-energize your health with REAL chocolate”.
Aside from the overarching ‘raw’ theme that emphasises minimal processing and simplicity of formulation, the launch of Rau’s new coconut-based drink particularly underlines the growth of cold-pressed virgin coconut oil as the latest fashionable, celebrity-endorsed functional ingredient.
The buzz around coconut oil – as well as the past success of fruit smoothies and the frequent appearance of ‘chocolate’ as a health-enhancing functional ingredient – hints at a curious truth about consumer perceptions of health benefits in the functional space. A conventionally-understood ‘good for you’ nutritional profile (for instance, being low in fat, calories, salt or sugar) may not be an essential prerequisite for products making functional claims: instead, the inherent fat or sugar content of natural ingredients such as coconut oil, cocoa powder and fruit may even work in their favour, with the higher indulgence value and perceived benefit of being ‘raw’, ‘pure’ or ‘unprocessed’ able to trump traditional health concerns in the mind of the target consumer.
Image source: Rau
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Cesar Pereira, founder & CEO of Gama, is available for comment. To arrange an interview please contact +44 161 818 8700 or info@gamaconsumer.com.
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