“When we went on Shark Tank [in late 2018], Rohan Oza [managing partner at CAVU Venture Partners, who agreed to invest in the business] said to us, ‘I absolutely love your liquid, but I hate the packaging,” recalls Poppi co-founder Allison Ellsworth....
SternVitamin, a subsidiary of Stern-Wywiol Gruppe, has developed micronutrient premixes for the plant-based dairy alternatives segment that ‘upgrade’ plant-based drinks based on oats and other protein sources.
India’s health drink firm AV Organics is launching its black alkaline mineral water brand Evocus to New Zealand and UAE, with South East Asia countries to follow next.
The functional beverage space is heating up, but there are pockets of opportunity in enhanced sparkling water, says Colin McCabe, who co-founded fast-casual salad chain Chop’t, and is now moving into new territory with Free Rain, a line of beverages infused...
A new paper suggests that measuring proper hydration in the body is far more complex than might be assumed. Multiple tests might need to be done to get an accurate measurement, the authors claimed.
Following its acquisition by Beverage USA Holdings Inc. (BevUSA) earlier this year, mental acuity beverage company NERD is on track to become a nationally-recognized brand with new retail distribution, an expanded direct-to-consumer business, and refreshed...
Projecting its sixth straight year of double-digit growth, PepsiCo-owned Propel is taking advantage of the recent surge in consumer interest around immune health with the launch of its Immune Support line containing vitamin C and zinc.
A Nestlé-produced ketogenic (kMCT) drink could improve cognitive function in individuals suffering from Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), the firm's study suggests, as the product is set to be launched in Europe by the end of the year.
Personalized nutrition is somewhat a revolutionary technology within the beverage industry, offering consumer specific nutrition recommendations in real-time based on their DNA and gene profiling. But are consumers aware of this technology, and would...
Kombucha offers drinkers more complexity than your average alcohol-free alternative, writes Emma Thackray, co-founder of Booch & Brew, in this guest article.
Australian beverage firm Remedy Drinks is eyeing Vietnam as the next big market for its kombucha, banking on a rising health and wellness awareness trend and product ability to be transported without refrigeration.
Innovation is in full swing across the functional and fortified beverage category. From natural energy drinks to probiotic seltzers, we take a look at some of the recent launches around the globe.
While the US is the most developed market for kombucha, the category is growing in Europe with the drink’s natural and functional positioning ready to tap into health and wellness trends. But the evolution of the French, German and UK markets shows the...
Kirin Holdings and Kirin Beverage are set to relaunch its existing iMUSE brand as a functional food brand in Japan after six of its products received Food with Function Claims (FFC).
Singapore-based brand Nutrixin has relaunched its flagship immunity product, apple peel essence and rolled out two more functional beverages with cognitive and digestive functions.
Japan’s mellow has established its first physical retail presence in Japan after launching its CBD carbonated beverage and supplements online in June this year.
Thailand-based food biotech company JuiceInnov8 and national beverage giant TCP Group – the firm behind the original Red Bull - is set to roll out three reduced sugar and functional fruit juices this month.
A Google Trends analysis report reveals the "profound effects" of COVID-19 on interest in immune-boosting nutrients and herbs globally and which specific ingredients consumers favour across different global regions.
Malaysia-based kombucha brand WonderBrew is on track to more than double its sales this year, as it seeks to expand its e-commerce presence amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Two South Australian firms, functional beverage company Utonic and beauty firm Vani-T, are set to retail what they believe is the world’s first collagen kombucha nationwide in February 2021, following its online soft launch in September.
Malaysian kefir specialist firm MayKef says it is proudly taking a ‘health over taste’ approach to its production and marketing as it seeks to extol the virtues of goat’s milk and coconut milk kefir over traditional dairy.
By Prodromos Nikolaidis, Group Coffee Director, Coca-Cola HBC
Coffee represents a huge growth opportunity for Coca-Cola: not least with its acquisition of Costa coffee last year. In this guest article, Coca-Cola HBC's Group Coffee Director, Prodromos Nikolaidis, explores what is so attractive about the category.
The South Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) has introduced mandatory warning labels and tightened regulations governing ‘high caffeine’ beverages, including coffee and tea products.
The functional beverage sector is expected to gain traction as more ‘lifestyle consumers’ are attracted to the category, according to Kerry Taste and Nutrition.
The combination of a paraprobiotic derived from kefir and a prebiotic obtained from grape seed flour has been found to have anti-obesity effects in a mouse model.
PepsiCo is launching Driftwell: a functional beverage containing L-theanine to promote relaxation. Representing PepsiCo’s fastest beverage brand ever to market, it was created through an internal idea pitch competition for employees.
Kirin and FANCL is set to release two new beverages in Japan this October, including one with a Food with Function (FFC) claim - their first such products since forming a business alliance last year.
Demand for food and beverage products that boost mood, memory, focus and energy is said to be soaring. However, food consultant Julian Mellentin warns that food innovators should tread lightly: “It's a high-risk market and many entrepreneurs are...
New Zealand clean label energy drink brand Phoric is resuming its nationwide launch after plans were put on hold during the COVID-19 lockdown earlier in March.
APAC’s probiotics sector is continuing to soar, but consumers are increasingly seeking applications beyond supplements and dairy, with honey, tea and coffee emerging as potential formats for innovation.
Consuming cranberry juice twice daily reduces the risk of an infection which can lead to stomach ulcers, according to a new clinical trial supported by a grant from the Cranberry Marketing Committee (CMC),
A health and hospitality enthusiast with a passion for naturopathic nutrition is bringing the ancient wisdom of medicinal mushroom to the modern consumer with her new range of adoptogenic alcohol-free beers.
Atomo Coffee – a Seattle-based startup that claims to have reverse engineered your morning joe to make an awesome cup of coffee without using beans – has raised an extra $9m in seed funding, bringing its cumulative funding to $11.6m, with plans to bring...
Regular caffeine consumption induces very limited anti-inflammatory effects, while sedentary behaviour and body fat accumulation induce significant inflammatory effects, according to a new study involving nearly 250 men and women.
Although coffee is drunk by 150 million Americans everyday, the idea of drinking a cup of joe to supplement a workout is still a young idea. But a small group of entrepreneurs, scientists, and sports performance specialists are hoping the niche category...
Organic wellness shot brand Vive Organic has raised $13m in a Series B round led by Monogram Capital, with participation from Cambridge SPG and Powerplant Ventures.
The US Food and Drug Administration will not object to the use of certain qualified health claims regarding consuming certain cranberry juice and supplements and a reduced risk of recurrent urinary tract infection (UTI) in healthy women.
Energy drink giant Red Bull believes that product localisation and development of the premium segment are logical next steps for the market in Asia Pacific, even as its original formulation continues to dominate sales.
Australia-based functional energy drink Kanguru recently launched in South Korea and has big ambitions to beat traditional local tonic drinks as well as conquer the late-night gaming and entertainment scene.
Emerging Minneapolis-based brand Jajja Wellness is exposing consumers to under-the-radar, yet nutritionally-powerful ingredients, from baobab to spirulina, with its expanding line of ready-to-drink tonics available online and in local retailers.
Orange juice may be a potential non‐dairy based carrier for the probiotic Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis, according to a study conducted by researchers in Australia.
The functional beverage trend will gain momentum in 2020 and beyond, according to FMCG Gurus, as consumers become more conscious about their health due to COVID-19.
At a time when many Americans are feeling emotionally, mentally and physically tapped by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and rising social unrest, Teeccino is launching two new “wellness” lines of its roasted herbal coffee that the founder says will...
Coronavirus has turned business models and consumer trends on their heads. However, the importance of innovation is not going to change: “Innovation will continue to be a source of future growth,” says Coca-Cola. But the direction of innovation - and...
