Natural Products Expo West - the mega gathering of the natural and organic CPG and retail ecosystem – convened more than 60,000 industry professionals in Anaheim, California last week.
The show is the ultimate experience for getting the first look at the next big sellers – as well as unearthing the emerging and pioneering brands coming from across the US.
The event has always showcased the best functional beverage innovations: but 2025 saw more and more products launches leaning into what consumer and market research firm Spate calls ‘modern alchemy’ – ingredients and foods that support health and wellness.
The company examined TikTok and Google search data to identify emerging themes in food and beverage, finding the idea of food as medicine continues to gain momentum.
And nowhere is this more evident than in beverages: with launches covering key trends such as the booming gut health sector, the continued importance of sugar and calorie reduction, and – never to be forgotten – the importance of flavor and fun.
Bloom Pop
Bloom Nutrition announced the launch of Bloom Pop – a better-for-you, fun and functional soda – at Expo West.
Set to be on shelves around Labor Day 2025 across Walmart and major retailers nationwide, Bloom Pop has 20 calories, 4g of sugar or less and supports gut health with a trademarked prebiotic.
Bloom Pop will launch with five flavors, including Shirley Temple, Raspberry Lemon and Orange.
The NPD follows the success of Bloom Sparkling Energy in July 2024, which is now in the Top 10 energy drinks in the US. This underscores the consumer need for better-for-you beverages with exceptional taste and innovative flavor combinations, says Mari Llewellyn, co-founder of Bloom.
“What we do best at Bloom is reimagine wellness essentials with flavor and function,” says Llewellyn.
“Made with a scientifically backed prebiotic and flavor we’ve perfected, Bloom Pop is our answer to what our fans feel the modern soda category is missing: a truly tasty and functional drink.”
Bloom Pop hopes to follow in the footsteps of Bloom Sparkling Energy, which sold more than 3 million cans in the first 2.5 months and has grown into an 8-figure business from nothing. It is now in more than 15,000+ retail locations nationwide, including Walmart, Kroger, and Albertsons.
New trio from Minor Figures
Minor Figures has unveiled two new product innovations: Oat Lattes and Hyper Oat. The brand has also reintroduced Barista Oat (Lite), now certified organic.
Inspired by cafe culture and a bold socially conscious crowd, Minor Figures is developing tomorrow’s plant-based beverage innovations with the biggest impact and the smallest environmental footprint. Since launching in the US in 2019, Minor Figures has experienced high double-digit year-over-year growth and is now available in specialty cafes and grocers across all 50 states and Canada.
Oat Lattes are crafted by baristas for a premium, café-quality experience: featuring single-origin coffee and specialty flavors like Mocha and Cinnamon in a multi-serve format.
Hyper Oat is a bold, first-of-its-kind oat beverage bursting with color, flavor, and function—‘the future of plant-based milk’, says Minor Figures.
Additionally, Minor Figures is reintroducing Barista Oat Lite, now certified organic, offering a lighter option with 33% fewer calories than the original.
In addition to its new product innovations, Minor Figures is celebrating the renewal of its B-Corp certification.
“Minor Figures holds steadfast to pillars of being 100% plant-based and always B-Corp,” says Stuart Forsyth Co-Founder + CEO of Minor Figures. “We are proud to share that we’ve just completed our B-Corp renewal, improving our score to 89.9, demonstrating our commitment to verified performance, accountability, and transparency across factors like employee benefits, charitable giving, supply chain practices, and input materials.”
Death Wish Coffee’s premium canned lattes
Death Wish Coffee – the #1 Fair Trade coffee brand in the US – has unveiled the latest addition to its robust coffee portfolio: premium canned lattes.
Available in three flavors – vanilla, mocha and original – each delivers the ‘real, bold and smooth taste’ that Death Wish Coffee is known for, while meeting demand for clean, convenient energy solutions.
Canned coffee is the most consumed format among Gen Z and Millennials, according to Mintel Coffee and RTD coffee’s report, but most options contain high amounts of sugar and lengthy lists of unrecognizable, artificial ingredients.
Crafted with simple ingredients including Fair Trade Certified, 100% Colombian Cold Brew Coffee and milk, these sustainably sourced lattes tout a cleaner label while still packing a punch. Each can contains up to as much caffeine as 1.5 cups of coffee.
With significantly less calories and up to 87% less added sugar per serving than the leading ready to drink coffee, Death Wish Coffee Co.‘s Premium Lattes also serve as a good source of protein and calcium. The full lineup of Kosher certified lattes contain no artificial caffeine, colors, flavors, sweeteners, or growth hormones.
Death Wish Coffee Co.‘s Premium Lattes are now available in 11oz. single-serve cans at select retailers including Walmart, Albertsons, and Five Below, to name a few, and in 12-packs on Amazon.
Odwalla’s juices and smoothies
Odwalla, the quirky beverage brand founded by jazz musicians in 1980, launched its new line of juices and smoothies at Natural Products Expo West 2025.
The 100% juices and fruit smoothies are crafted with wholesome, natural ingredients: free from added sugars, high-fructose corn syrup and artificial flavors and preservatives. Every blend is also Kosher.
The new Odwalla line includes three 100% crafted juice blends: orange juice; orange, guava and ginger; and green juice.
These are joined by three smoothies: mango, strawberry-banana and berries.
The new launches can be found in multiple packaging formats, including 13.9 fluid-ounce glass bottles and 16 and 32.4 fluid-ounce Tetra Prisma cartons.
Just Ice Tea: New trio of flavors
Just Ice Tea, the organic and Fair Trade certified tea brand, has unveiled three new varieties that will further accelerate the growth of its portfolio of bottled and canned teas.
- Orange Mango Herbal Fusion - Orange Mango Herbal Fusion blends organic red and green rooibos tea with ashwagandha, orange peel and organic mango concentrate for a brisk, lightly sweetened – and caffeine-free – refresher.
- Golden Oolong Tea - Oolong is a classic Chinese fermented tea with a smoky taste. The unsweetened infusion is blended with black tea for a well-balanced and calorie-free tea experience.
- Enjoy Mint Tea - Just Ice Tea’s new refresher blends American-grown organic spearmint and peppermint with a touch of organic cane sugar and honey for a cooling and thirst-quenching caffeine-free beverage that’s sure to be a hit.
Launched in 2022 by the co-founders of the iconic tea Honest Tea brand, Just Ice Tea is led by founders Seth Goldman (a global pioneer in mission-driven foods who’s also the Chair of Beyond Meat and Tony’s Chocolonely’s Mission Guardians) and Barry Nalebuff, as well as celebrity chef Spike Mendelsohn. The brand’s ingredients are grown without synthetic pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, or fertilizers; while the teas are free from artificial ingredients and are formulated with “Just Sweet Enough” sweeteners or no sweetener at all.
Duel-serve kefir
Shaking up kefir formats at Expo West was Pure Culture: which has launched its new “dual-serve” kefir, a 12 ounce bottle with two 6 ounce servings.
Traditionally, the US kefir market has been dominated by 32-ounce bulk bottles, with limited variations.
But Pure Culture’s new format is designed to meet the needs of modern consumers: with a convenient, nutrient-packed option that reduces waste. The brand notes that millennials and younger consumers are increasingly seek on-the-go nutrition without having to commit to bulk-sized bottles that often go unfinished.
Each serving of kefir is packed with billions of probiotics and large amounts of protein, calcium, and Vitamin D. It is lactose-free and made without thickeners, stabilizers, or dyes.
“After careful thought and preparation, we believe this dual-serve format is the ideal next step for our growing kefir brand,” said Edward Smolyansky, Founder and President of Pure Culture and its parent company, Lucy’s Organics. “The category is quickly evolving, and this option will fill a void in what consumers want.”
Smolyansky, a 20-year industry veteran, noted that many consumers hesitate to purchase kefir because they are concerned about finishing an entire quart-sized bottle. This new option will provide much-desired flexibility, he said.
“Over the last two decades, I have worked to popularize kefir in North America, and I’m confident that with the right approach, this category can expand beyond its fragmented roots and stand strong within the broader dairy market,” Smolyansky said.
Meanwhile, the dual-serve format also aims to disrupt the current one-size-fits-all approach of 32 ounce bottles by new pricing flexibility and margin opportunities for wholesale partners.
