DrinkFacts

Functional drinks

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.

Beyond hydration

Vitamins · Fibre · Electrolytes

Four corners of the category

What "functional" actually means

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

Electrolytes & Minerals

Energy

Caffeine, Taurine, B Vitamins

Health & Wellness

Low-Calorie & Enriched

Weight Management

Metabolism & Meal Support
ELECTROLYTES & MINERALS

Hydration drinks

Hydration drinks contain electrolytes, salts, vitamins and minerals designed to support hydration before, during or after activity.

FOUND IN
Electrolyte waters Mineral powders Coconut water blends
CAFFEINE, TAURINE, B VITAMINS

Energy drinks

Energy drinks are formulated with ingredients such as caffeine, taurine, guarana and B vitamins to support energy and alertness.

FOUND IN
Sugar-sweetened energy Sugar-free energy Natural caffeine
LOW-CALORIE & ENRICHED

Health & Wellness drinks

Health and wellness drinks have been developed to support general wellbeing, including low-calorie and vitamin-enriched options.

FOUND IN
Prebiotic sodas Vitamin waters Kombucha
METABOLISM & MEAL SUPPORT

Weight management drinks

Weight management drinks contain ingredients such as green tea or coffee extracts marketed to support metabolism or weight management, including meal substitutes.

FOUND IN
Green tea extract drinks Protein meal shakes Thermogenic drinks
What's inside

Key ingredients

Tap any ingredient to learn how it works in a functional drink.

Vitamin B
Energy metabolism
Other vitamins
A, C, D, E, K
Fibre
Gut & satiety
Antioxidants
Cell protection
Amino acids
Protein building blocks
Probiotics
Live cultures
Prebiotics
Food for gut bacteria
Minerals & electrolytes
Sodium, potassium, magnesium

Regulation

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.

 

Did you know?

The functional drinks category is continually evolving, with new ingredients and formulations regularly introduced in response to changing consumer interest and research.

Did you know?

Functional drinks often sit across multiple traditional drink categories, meaning one product might overlap with sports, energy or wellness positioning.

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