Subscribe The days of relying on historical use of herbals are over – consumers demand scientific proof of benefits By Elizabeth Crawford Relying on historical usage of botanicals to help sell functional foods and beverages is no longer enough as consumers become increasingly sophisticated in how they approach and vet products to help boost their immunity, provide stress relief and reinforce their energy and mental acuity, according to the science-based herbal extract provider Karallief. “A big thing about functional ingredients – especially when it comes to food and beverages – is consumers want to be more proactive about their health and they’re not just going by what a company says on the label. Rather, they’re researching these products and making sure what they buy has data behind them. So, they want companies who have scientific studies, and that is a big change” from before the pandemic, Krishna Rajendran, CEO of the nutraceutical company Karallief, told FoodNavigator-USA.