The consumer industry continues to be a hotbed of patent innovation. Activity is driven by convenience, and health and wellness, and the growing importance of technologies such as personalized nutrition, 3D food printer, and food safety and transparency. In the last three years alone, there have been over 662,000 patents filed and granted in the consumer industry, according to GlobalData’s report on Innovation in consumer: low glycemic index foods. Buy the report here.

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However, not all innovations are equal and nor do they follow a constant upward trend. Instead, their evolution takes the form of an S-shaped curve that reflects their typical lifecycle from early emergence to accelerating adoption, before finally stabilizing and reaching maturity.

Identifying where a particular innovation is on this journey, especially those that are in the emerging and accelerating stages, is essential for understanding their current level of adoption and the likely future trajectory and impact they will have.

30+ innovations will shape the consumer industry

According to GlobalData’s Technology Foresights, which plots the S-curve for the consumer industry using innovation intensity models built on over 116,000 patents, there are 30+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.

Within the emerging innovation stage, microencapsulated proteins, plant based cheese substitutes, and texturized vegetable proteins are disruptive technologies that are in the early stages of application and should be tracked closely. Botulinum toxin, beverage pods, and filled confectionary manufacturing are some of the accelerating innovation areas, where adoption has been steadily increasing. Among maturing innovation areas are anabolic muscle supplements and protein-fortified beverages, which are now well established in the industry.

Innovation S-curve for the consumer industry

Low glycemic index foods is a key innovation area in consumer

Foods having a GI score below 55 are termed low-GI foods. These foods contain carbohydrates that break down slower than high-GI foods. As such, low-GI foods are highly beneficial for consumers having high blood sugar levels as they can slow down a person’s rise in sugar levels.

GlobalData’s analysis also uncovers the companies at the forefront of each innovation area and assesses the potential reach and impact of their patenting activity across different applications and geographies. According to GlobalData, there are 970+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established consumer companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of low glycemic index foods.

Key players in low glycemic index foods – a disruptive innovation in the consumer industry

‘Application diversity’ measures the number of applications identified for each patent. It broadly splits companies into either ‘niche’ or ‘diversified’ innovators.

‘Geographic reach’ refers to the number of countries each patent is registered in. It reflects the breadth of geographic application intended, ranging from ‘global’ to ‘local’.

Patent volumes related to low glycemic index foods

Company Total patents (2010 - 2022) Premium intelligence on the world's largest companies
Nestle 2034 Unlock Company Profile
Danone 1098 Unlock Company Profile
Royal DSM 690 Unlock Company Profile
DSM-Firmenich 690 Unlock Company Profile
Abbott Laboratories 448 Unlock Company Profile
Kotobuki Realty 308 Unlock Company Profile
Reckitt Benckiser Group 230 Unlock Company Profile
4D Pharma 206 Unlock Company Profile
BASF 203 Unlock Company Profile
Pfizer 195 Unlock Company Profile
Colgate-Palmolive 182 Unlock Company Profile
Ajinomoto 176 Unlock Company Profile
Otsuka 163 Unlock Company Profile
Meiji 160 Unlock Company Profile
Kirin 146 Unlock Company Profile
TCI 145 Unlock Company Profile
Tate & Lyle 124 Unlock Company Profile
Axcella Health 115 Unlock Company Profile
International Flavors & Fragrances 112 Unlock Company Profile
International Flavors & Fragrances 112 Unlock Company Profile
DuPont de Nemours 112 Unlock Company Profile
Morinaga Milk Industry 109 Unlock Company Profile
Alcresta Therapeutics 104 Unlock Company Profile
Novo Nordisk Foundation 99 Unlock Company Profile
Symrise 94 Unlock Company Profile
Nagase 93 Unlock Company Profile
Amazentis 91 Unlock Company Profile
NuSirt Biopharma 87 Unlock Company Profile
Kao 84 Unlock Company Profile
Amorepacific Group 83 Unlock Company Profile
Kaneka 81 Unlock Company Profile
OptiBiotix Health 80 Unlock Company Profile
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique 77 Unlock Company Profile
Ingredion 75 Unlock Company Profile
Takeda Pharmaceutical 73 Unlock Company Profile
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation 72 Unlock Company Profile
CJ 70 Unlock Company Profile
Nufarm 67 Unlock Company Profile
MD Healthcare 67 Unlock Company Profile
Valbiotis 67 Unlock Company Profile
Valio 64 Unlock Company Profile
Perora 63 Unlock Company Profile
Roquette Freres 60 Unlock Company Profile
TargEDys 60 Unlock Company Profile
Fonterra Co-operative Group 58 Unlock Company Profile
Mitsui DM Sugar 57 Unlock Company Profile
a2 Milk 56 Unlock Company Profile
Shaklee Global Group 54 Unlock Company Profile
mondoBIOTECH 53 Unlock Company Profile
Chr. Hansen 53 Unlock Company Profile

Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics

Nestle is the leading patent filer in low glycemic food index. Some other key patent filers in low glycemic food index include Danone, Royal DSM, Abbott Laboratories, and Kotobuki Realty. Recently, Danone added two low-GI milk formulas to its newly launched healthy ageing brand Ganmai, in China. The launches, namely Ganmai XinRuiLi senior goat milk powder and Ganmai MianYuLi senior milk powder, target consumers aged 40 and above.

In terms of application diversity, Perora leads the pack, with Valio and Valbiotis in second and third positions, respectively. By means of geographic reach, Alcresta Therapeutics holds the top position, followed by Amazentis and 4D Pharma.

In the coming years, low glycemic index foods will gain the attention of consumers who suffer from medical conditions such as high blood pressure and cannot rely on high glycemic index foods. Food manufacturers should continue to launch new products across categories to capture a wider consumer base.

To further understand the key themes and technologies disrupting the consumer industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Consumer.

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GlobalData, the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article.

GlobalData’s Patent Analytics tracks patent filings and grants from official offices around the world. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.