Functional Foods: Where Do the Health Benefits End and the Marketing Begin?

Protein yogurt, omega-3 eggs, kombucha with an adaptogen boost, or Fibermaxxing (high in fiber): When shopping, many of these products sound like a major health upgrade. Functional benefits are becoming a key differentiator, and the food industry is increasingly focusing on products that not only taste good but are also designed to offer concrete nutritional value.

But what’s really behind this? Functional benefits are the hardest currency to measure on the refrigerated shelf. If you just say “healthy,” you’ll get a shrug. If you specifically name which nutrients a product provides and what benefits they offer, you create clear, compelling reasons to buy.

It is precisely within this dynamic landscape that Rügenwalder Mühle will be repositioning the Endori brand in the food retail sector starting in 2027. While Rügenwalder Mühle is known for meat and plant-based meat alternatives, Endori will focus on vegetables and legumes with functional benefits. Four products are planned for the launch under the name “Functional Veggies,” including spinach-basil balls and stir-fry vegetable sticks. Depending on the product, the focus will be on nutrients such as magnesium, calcium, and the omega-3 fatty acid ALA. Market data provides momentum for this strategy: According to Rügenwalder Mühle, sales of traditional meat alternatives rose by 14.4 percent over the past twelve months. For plant-based products such as vegetables, falafel, tofu, tempeh, and seitan, the increase was 27.5 percent.

But the trend toward functional foods raises an important question: What is scientifically proven—and what is, above all, just a good sales pitch? For brands, this means that functional benefits require a clear, verifiable, and clearly communicated promise. For Endori in particular, this is crucial as part of its new positioning as “Functional Veggies”: What nutrients do the products actually provide, what specific added value do they offer, and how can this be communicated credibly? After all, in the end, it’s not the biggest health claim that wins out, but the most convincing combination of product, benefits, and credibility.

Or what do you think?

Here's the link:https://lebensmittelpraxis.de/industrie-aktuell/sortiment/50150-pflanzliche-lebensmittel-ruegenwalder-muehle-uebernimmt-marke-endori-und-setzt-auf-functional-veggies.html