UK supermarket giant M&S has entered into the functional food market with its own-brand range of brain health products — including mushroom-infused beverages and nutrient-rich food items.
Within this range, M&S will focus on addressing key nutrient deficiencies that affect a vast proportion of the population, including omega-3, vitamin B12, folate, iron, iodine and zinc.
The 13 lines have been available on the supermarket chain’s shelves and through its online service Ocado since January 2.
Included in the lineup is the YAY! Mushrooms range, which includes nutraceutical staples such as lion’s mane and reishi in a convenient ‘shot’ beverage format, as well as smoothies containing antioxidants like spirulina.
All of the Brain Food products have been developed in tandem with the British Nutrition Foundation, while the YAY! Mushrooms range was created alongside the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Sharry Cramond, Marketing & Loyalty Director at M&S Food, said: “M&S Brain Food and YAY! Mushrooms are two new first to market own label ranges, and are perfect examples of when insight, quality and innovation marry together.”
“As 80% of our customers say they are concerned about their cognitive/brain health, it made sense for us to introduce Brain Food to our Foodhalls. YAY! Mushrooms taps into our adventurous customers who love to try new things and also aims to open us up to new customers who may be familiar with lion’s mane but have not tried them in a delicious drink.”
[Image credit: M&S]