Subscribe Functional beverage sales rise, but not all ingredients, benefits gain equally as consumer interest shifts By Elizabeth Crawford Sales of functional beverages are bouncing back after slowing early in the pandemic when fewer people bought on-the-go products, reflecting increased consumer mobility, rising interest in food as medicine and innovation that resonates with health-focused consumers, according to data from SPINS and Nutrition Business Journal. While the dramatic shift to eating at home during the pandemic helped lift overall sales of natural and organic food and beverages 12.7% to $259bn last year, the benefit was uneven across the industry with sales of functional foods and beverages growing much slower than organic, according to NBJ data presented at virtual Natural Products Expo West last week.