EDITOUR 11 PETplanet Insider Vol. 23 value and volume growth. It will be challenging to reverse this trend, as health advice now is to restrict juices to 150ml a day. Kiti Soininen, Mintel’s Head of UK Food, Drink and Foodservice Research, highlighted the pressures and campaigns on sugar content as on ongoing trend but also mentioned emerging health trends – for fibre content particularly – as a possible bright spot. The same company’s Soft Drinks Review 2021 found that 35% of adults in the UK believe that there are not enough soft drinks available that are aimed at adults. This may be an opportunity for smaller brands to capitalise on. High levels of interest in functional benefits emphasises the scope for these to increase market share by offering benefits beyond hydration and flavour, which can offset concerns around sugar, to an extent. Immune health has come higher up the agenda, thanks to the Covid-19 outbreak. The energy drinks market is dominated by a Big 5: Coca-Cola, Suntory, Red Bull, Monster Beverage Corp, and PepsiCo (Rockstar Energy). It is forecast to show CAGR of 4.3% over the 10 years 2016-2026. Around 80% of energy drinks are sold in cans, with PET taking the remaining share. Consumers are, increasingly, turning to sugar-free energy drinks; only around 30% say they never drink sugar-free, according to Mordor Intelligence. Alcoholic beverages – a mixed picture The alcoholic beverages market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 3.1% during 2019-2025, according to Research & Markets. In 2018, the UK market was valued at £33bn (€37bn) and is forecast to reach £40bn in 2025. WHO reported that alcohol consumption per capita decreased slightly, from 12.3 litres in 2010 to 11.4 litres in 2016. That decline seems to have been reversed during the Covid-19 period, despite the introduction of minimum alcohol pricing in Scotland and Wales. The key players in the alcoholic beverages market are Carlsberg A/S, Diageo PLC, Suntory Holdings Ltd., and Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV. The brewing industry was historically centred around Burton-uponTrent, in the Midlands of England, with a legacy of strong regional brewers. The consolidation upwards has, paradoxically, left space for the emergence of micro-breweries at the bottom end. Most beer for retail sale is packaged in glass; cider, in contrast, has a stronger representation of PET. While the UK is gaining a reputation for high quality white and sparkling wines, made from vineyards in the chalk downlands of the SouthEast, most wine is imported. Whisky is made primarily in Scotland and Ireland, with new distilleries emerging
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