French consumers spent €360 million on functional foods and drinks in 2002, and Datamonitor forecasts spending to increase by 40 per cent to €506 million in 2007.
The numbers of functional food consumers in major European markets are growing each year by around 6-7 per cent.
But for manufacturers, the biggest prizes will be found in products that cross-over trends, such as the trend for convenience and indulgence, shows the new report. Those already tapping more than one trend include Danone's Actimal and health on-the-go salad pots.
As the pace of life gets faster still, there will be more multitasking, grazing on-the-move consumption and other 'quick fixes', according to the analysts. Europeans' eating habits have evolved to allow for several eating occasions a day and eating between regular mealtimes is on the rise at the expense of breakfast, lunch and dinner.
On average Europeans eat a little over 4.5 times a day, and although 'proper' meals are eaten more frequently than snacks, the margin between meals and snack frequency consumption is declining.
In 2003, French consumers skipped on average 77 breakfasts a year per person, and Datamonitor forecasts this will increase to 82 in 2008. Eating out of the home now accounts for almost a quarter of all food occasions.
The report, Global Consumer Trends, also discusses 'income complexity' that drives consumers to curb spend in one area so they can splurge in others. This will mean food and drink manufacturers having to supply many people's everyday purchases through the growing discount grocery channel, says Datamonitor.
At the same time, French consumers spent a total of €1.7 billion on premium treats and comfort foods in 2003. Datamonitor forecasts that consumers' expenditure on premium indulgence will increase by 23 per cent to €2.0 billion in 2008.
Consumers also want ever more personalisation, be it in the way they live (46 million people now live alone in Europe), the marketing they receive and the products and services they consume.
Food and drink companies are starting to respond with customised labels and customisable single serve machines, such as Senseo coffee.
This trend is also driving interest in customized nutrition, with a BASF and Fonterra venture currently working on a healthy vending machine to develop customized health foods.