Three quarters of the breakfast cereal launches recorded by Innova Market Insights over the 12 months to the end of October 2014 had a health positioning of some kind.

"There is a growing interest in products featuring a more general health or multi-benefit positioning, running alongside the wide range of health benefits now associated with many breakfast cereals," says Lu Ann Williams, director of innovation at Innova Market Insights. "This is exacerbated by regulatory restrictions on claims in some regions, including north America and the EU."

The most popular health claims in cereals overall concern the use of wholegrains and fibre content. These featured in nearly 47% of breakfast cereal launches, with wholegrains used in 31% and fibre content in 34%, showing the level of overlap and that a significant number of products use both types of claim. Source of protein claims are also increasingly featuring in product activity, reflecting rising interest in the food and drinks market as a whole, and were used in just under 10% of cereal launches globally.

In terms of active health claims, which are most often associated with functional benefits, heart health continues to lead, despite a tightening up of claims legislation in many markets. It was used in nearly 8% of launches recorded globally, ahead of vitamin and mineral fortification with 7% globally, energy and alertness with 5.5%, digestive or gut health with just under 4%, and weight management with just over 2%.

In the UK, a well established breakfast cereals market, product activity has been focusing on a healthy image and higher fibre content. There is a rising popularity in granola and muesli, in response to the demand for unprocessed, natural and healthy breakfast options.