Functional drinks are a fast-growing category of the Australian non-alcoholic drinks market. They contain ingredients such as vitamins, fibre, antioxidants, minerals, amino acids, probiotics and prebiotics to provide specific health benefits, beyond hydration.
Functional drinks aren’t one thing, they span four overlapping families. Tap each to see what’s inside and what it’s formulated to do.
Hydration drinks contain electrolytes, salts, vitamins and minerals designed to support hydration before, during or after activity.
Energy drinks are formulated with ingredients such as caffeine, taurine, guarana and B vitamins to support energy and alertness.
Health and wellness drinks have been developed to support general wellbeing, including low-calorie and vitamin-enriched options.
Weight management drinks contain ingredients such as green tea or coffee extracts marketed to support metabolism or weight management, including meal substitutes.
Tap any ingredient to learn how it works in a functional drink.
How are functional drinks regulated?
Functional beverages sold in Australia and New Zealand are strictly regulated under the Food Standards Code. All functional beverages must display accurate nutrition information and ingredient lists, and any added vitamins, minerals or bioactive compounds must be permitted under the Code.
All claims on pack must be accurate and not misleading.
The functional drinks category is continually evolving, with new ingredients and formulations regularly introduced in response to changing consumer interest and research.
Functional drinks often sit across multiple traditional drink categories, meaning one product might overlap with sports, energy or wellness positioning.
Functional drinks often sit across multiple traditional drink categories, meaning one product might overlap with sports, energy or wellness positioning.
Functional drinks often sit across multiple traditional drink categories, meaning one product might overlap with sports, energy or wellness positioning.