Can beer be healthy?

Can diabetes support and beauty benefits come from beer? According to the Japanese – yes.

Recent innovation in the Japanese beer market sees functional ingredients being incorporated into formulation to create healthier and beautifying products. With a downturn in consumption levels and an aging population in Japan, brewers are looking for new ways to innovate to appeal to more consumers.

Sapporo’s functional non-alcoholic beer, Sapporo+, comes fortified with corn-derived dextrin (dietary fibre) which is said to suppress a sharp increase in blood sugar levels after meals. It is aimed at consumers aged over forty at risk of diabetes, who are said to make up around 80% of the market for non-alcoholic drinks. The product is also the first FOSHU (Foods for Specific Health Use) certified beer.

Sapporo +

Sapporo (Japan), 2015.

Industry-first non alcoholic beer certified as a health drink with added dextrin.

Suntory is also diversifying its offering to provide alternatives in the beer space, namely including collagen into its formulation of two different products to promote healthy skin. This type of launch will appeal to female consumers, as more women explore the category due to increased flavour innovation and the redevelopment of the craft beer market.

Precious Collagen 2000mg

Suntory (Japan), 2015

Lo-malt beer featuring 2000mg of collagen aimed at women.

All Free Collagen 2000

Suntory (Japan), 2015

Non-alcoholic beer featuring 2000mg of collagen, zero calories, sugar and purine.

Jane Barnett is Insights Manager for the ANZ, South-East Asia and India region at Mintel. Jane joined Mintel in 2007 as a GNPD IRIS Analyst working with IRI sales data, moving onto a Client Development Manager role in 2008. In 2009, Jane developed a greater focus on the Food and Drink industry as a Trends and Innovation Consultant, gaining valuable experience delivering tailored research and analysis and discussing new product development at a client level, as well as at tradeshows and conferences across Europe. This moved into a Senior Trends and Innovation Consultant for the South-East Asia, ANZ and India regions, before moving into the role of Insights Manager.