Kale, or borecole, part of the Brassica family of vegetables, is currently riding high in markets such as the USA and the UK.

Despite their ongoing dominance in terms of market size, carbonated beverages accounted for just 14% of global new product activity in soft drinks in 2012, according to Innova Market Insights.

The prepared salads market is increasingly extending away from its established place in the side dishes and accompaniments market to also perform a more main meal function. The greater use of more substantial rotein ingredients, such as poultry or fish, accompaniments such as croutons and breadsticks, and a wider range of convenient packaging formats have assisted this trend, particularly for lighter lunch and on-the-go options.

While dairy alternative drinks accounted for a relatively limited share of 5% of the total dairy launches recorded by Innova Market Insights (www.innovadatabase.com) in the 12 months to the end of October 2012, the market has seen considerable recent development. This is being fuelled by its increasing popularity in the West, where it is moving out of the specialist health food arena and into the mainstream.

Resveratrol is a powerful antioxidant that is claimed to help prevent the free radical damage that can lead to the premature ageing of cells and has been linked with an anti-cancer effect, cardiovascular health and healthy inflammatory processes, as well as anti-ageing properties that help to promote youthful energy and appearance. It is found naturally in peanuts, mulberries, grapes and Japanese knotweed (Polygonum cuspidatum), although one of its most publicised aspects is its presence in red wine (from grape skins).

Although it has been proven time and again that health is normally not a key driver in confectionery purchasing and consumption, particularly in the impulse market, the rising level of interest in naturalness in the food and drinks market as a whole has nevertheless been making a growing impression in the confectionery sector and driving the move to ‘clean labelling’ by the industry.

Greek yoghurt continues to be a key area of activity in the fresh dairy market, with nearly 8% of the total yoghurt launches recorded globally by Innova Market Insights (www.InnovaDatabase.com) in the 12 months to the end of June 2012 positioned as Greek or Greek-style options. This was up from less than 2% five years previously, with actual launch numbers rising more than fivefold over that period.

The US salty snacks market is the largest and one of the most diverse in the world, encompassing some types of product that may not be included in the bagged snacks category in other countries and/or may be relatively undeveloped and limited in scope.

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New product activity in soft drinks appears to be accelerating strongly again, with rising levels of global launch activity recorded by Innova Market Insights.

Global launch numbers for lactose-free dairy products more than tripled in the five-year period to the beginning of 2012, according to Innova Market Insights ( www.InnovaDatabase.com ), with their share of total dairy introductions rising from less than 2.5% to 4.5% over the same period.

With over 7 billion mouths to feed globally, the demand for protein continues to rise. Hardly surprising then, that the hunt for protein alternatives is gathering pace.

A review of global launch activity in ready meals over the past year or so highlights some key trends, including ongoing interest in healthy options, more authentic-style ethnic recipes, more emphasis on natural, organic and locally-sourced ingredients and more interest in restaurant-style products for in-home dining or home entertaining as an alternative to eating out.

Within the sweet biscuit market there are two opposing forces at work globally, according to Innova Market Insights. The treat image of biscuits is driving the premium sector forward, while rising health concerns have also raised interest in better-for-you products.

Increasing interest in foreign cuisines has been particularly significant for the cooking sauces category, which alone accounted for half of tracked global sauces launches in 2011, well ahead of bottled table sauces with over a quarter and mayonnaise and dressings with about a fifth,” says Lu Ann Williams, Research Manager at Innova Market Insights.

Despite ongoing economic difficulties, new product activity in the global snack foods industry appears to be continuing unabated, with launch numbers recorded by Innova Market Insights showing a strong double-digit increase in 2011.

Cherries have long been appreciated for their taste, but growing evidence about their health benefits is now putting them squarely in the frame for ‘superfruit’ status and they are increasingly being used in juices and juice drink blends.

Rising interest in naturalness and growing awareness of the potential health benefits of botanical ingredients have combined with the desire for something more unusual to develop the demand for floral ingredients and flavourings.

Despite financial constraints it appears that consumer interest in making ethical food choices is continuing to increase, with recent data from Innova Market Insights (www.InnovaDatabase.com) showing that products positioned on an ethical platform of some kind accounted for over 7% of total global food and drinks launches recorded in the 12 months to the end of October 2011. This is up from less than 6.5% in the previous year and from less than 2% five years previously.

While the ready-to-drink or iced coffee market is relatively mature and showing only modest growth in much of Asia, levels of interest elsewhere in the world appear to be growing. This is seen not only in the relatively well-established USA market, which is number two in size globally after Japan, but also perhaps more interestingly in Europe, led by initiatives from multinational beverage and dairy companies.

Despite an ageing population and a growing interest in maintaining active lifestyles, joint health remains a very underdeveloped area of the functional foods market as a whole. While there has been considerable activity in dietary supplements for joint health, the mainstream food and drinks market has seen relatively few developments in this area.

Dairy products marketed on a bone health platform have become increasingly sophisticated in recent years, having originally primarily focused on a naturally high calcium content or calcium fortification, while largely relying on consumer awareness of its benefits. More recently, bone health products have tended to see the greater use of ingredient blends, not only with calcium, but also vitamin D or other ingredients to help boost calcium absorption and bone formation. Ingredients now promoted in bone health applications include vitamin K2, lysine, prebiotic fibres and soy isoflavones.

Innova Market Insights has reported that confectionery was the leading food and drinks sector in terms of global launch activity in the first half of 2011.