Functional beverage brands could be forgiven for focusing on functionality over flavor – but they do so at their peril. Flavor has an important role to play in attracting consumers to the category and keeping them interested in the long term.
Better-for-you energy drink brand Celsius leverages its PepsiCo partnership to reach $1bn in sales while exploring how to bring consumers into the category with unique flavors, CEO John Fieldly shared during the Goldman Sachs Global Staples Forum this...
Meet Xampla, the British company innovating solutions for two separate industry challenges: plastic pollution and the protection of valuable vitamins and nutrients. Food-Navigator Europe caught up with Stanley Mitchell, Head of Business Development at...
Whether it’s that early morning pick-me-up or pre-workout boost, consumers increasingly turn to the energy drink category for its functional benefits, which is expanding the market and creating opportunities for brands to innovate around sports performance,...
Kirin says that functional drinks from its health science domain are the “particular focus” for its beverage business this year after sales of its LC-Plasma immunity range increased by 8.5 per cent to 1.71 million cases in Q1.
Danish energy drink STATE has attracted a host of sporting ambassadors at the very top of their game – including footballer Christian Eriksen, tennis star Caroline Wozniacki and now Swedish cross-country skier and Olympic gold medalist Jonna Sundling....
Functional beverage company Curated Culture is looking to raise funds to support its expansion plans in the sports nutrition sector, after experiencing its first taste of success with its dairy- and sugar-free probiotic teas.
Plant-based company Zurvita is blending the energy-boosting properties of coffee with functional brain health benefits in its latest instant coffee Zurge, as the brand looks to expand its presence in both these categories, Ideneth Vega, SVP of strategy,...
Kirin is launching its first Food with Function Claims (FFC) sports nutrition drink with immune health benefits, as it seeks to tap into active consumers’ demands for multifunctional products.
Probiotic drinking yoghurt brand Actimel is making preliminary steps towards the metaverse with the launch of an in-game marketing campaign via Fortnite. “It’s a first of its kind for Actimel in raising awareness of the brand with a difference audience,”...
Hitting the right balance between the sourness of lactic acid bacteria and sweetness is the crux behind the development of Yakult’s latest launch in Singapore, says the firm’s managing director.
A life-long entrepreneur has created a ‘living sodas’ brand, providing a range of sodas with live probiotics plus prebiotics, which he hopes will open up a new 'living sodas' category.
New Zealand dairy giant Fonterra has outlined its functional beverage ambitions across South East Asia after a spate of new ready-to-drink (RTD) product launches under the Anchor and Fernleaf brands.
With a new can format and marketing campaign geared towards younger consumers, Health-Ade is looking to grow its brand and expand its base by tapping into occasions and capitalizing on greater consumer awareness of gut health, Health-Ade CMO Charlotte...
A new study from researchers in Thailand supports the safety of coffee cherry pulp juice consumption and suggests that it may lower cholesterol in healthy adults.
Oregon-based organic kombucha brand Brew Dr. is going "a little bit bolder, a little bit bigger" with its new branding and flavors as the company looks to expand household penetration amidst a growing competitive landscape in the functional...
The UK-based apple cider vinegar brand Willys has been taken to task over an array of claims and hashtags made across its adverts, website, socials and product listings.
Ireland’s AnaBio Technologies has launched a range of encapsulated probiotic strains including well-established Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus species that can survive temperature stresses associated with UHT processing.
Two wine industry veterans are channeling research and leftover grape pomace into a superfood ingredient chocked full of bioactive compounds for gut and heart health.
On a mission to promote wellness through music, meditation, and mushrooms, functional beverage brand Space Tea is readying its next step for retail expansion while taking an opportunity to demo its product at this week's Natural Products Expo West...
From fortification to flavor, low-no alcohol and low-sugar, what are consumers looking for in better-for-you beverages? Join us at FoodNavigator’s Positive Nutrition Summit to find out.
Nutricia has launched a new plant-based medical nutrition drink under the Fortimel range, to provide the same nutritional benefits to patients with specific dietary preferences.
David Fudge, co-founder and CEO of US non-alcoholic spirit brand Aplós, explains why he thinks functional ingredients are the key to reshaping the drinks category.
Gen Z consumers are more likely to drink RTD coffee than hot coffee – and as brands respond, the category is expanding and developing. We explore what’s trending in RTD coffee – and where the category could go next.
Despite cost and inflation concerns, trend reports note rising demand among many consumers for foods with functionality, such as those that can help bolster the immune system. Many brands are responding.
Arla Foods Ingredients has received final authorisation from the European Commission (EC) for its Lacprodan beta-lactoglobulin (BLG)-100, making this its first product to receive approval under the new Novel Food Regulations.
Massachusetts-based startup Superfrau is targeting the emerging functional soda category with a vitamin and mineral packed sparkling beverage made from one core ingredient: upcycled liquid whey from Greek yogurt production.
Ingredient supplier Kemin Industries is looking to further tap into the thriving functional beverage market with a water dispersible form of its BetaVia immune health ingredient.
Chicago-based kids lemonade brand Poppilu has been acquired by American Beverage Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Harvest Hill Beverage Company (makers of Juicy Juice and SUNNYD), to build upon the brand's success of establishing the kids...
The European Commission is planning to introduce a mandatory front-of-pack nutrition labelling (FOPNL) - but sports drinks may be penalised by a system that does not take into account their specific use, writes Dr Adam Carey, Chairman of the European...
Post-pandemic, consumers are back to leading busy lives and are looking for functional beverages accordingly: whether that be energy to power through the day or something calming for the evening.
The drinking of twig tea was shown to lower fasting blood glucose to a greater extent than regular tea, according to a 12-week study conducted in Japan.
Functional beverage brand Recess (tagline: ‘We canned a feeling’) has picked up a flurry of new accounts for its magnesium- and adaptogen-infused Recess Mood sparkling beverage line, and predicts it will increase distribution from 4,000 to 8,000 stores...
Gatorade is preparing for a massive 2023 rollout of energy drink brand Fast Twitch, designed for athletic performance with 200mg of caffeine, B vitamins, and electrolytes.
The dairy giant has come up two drink prototypes that could deliver key nutritional benefits to those affected by renal disease and living on low-mineral diets.
Korea’s hy Co, previously known as Korea Yakult, is expanding its probiotic business categories to include probiotic food, drinks, supplements, on top of its existing focus in functional fermented milk products.
Once associated with refreshment and relaxation, the crack of a can or hiss of gas following the twist of bottle top is becoming a source of anxiety for some consumers who associate it with single-use plastic, broken recycling systems and unwanted litter.
Australian firm Doctor V is moving beyond an energy drinks focus to innovate in the wider functional beverage space, hoping to ride on the growth of the functional drinks trend in APAC.
This is a lockdown success story about a mother and daughter from Brazil who moved to Sussex and wanted to create functional teas that not only did what they said on the tin but tasted good too.
By Miriam Konz, EVP corporate strategy and innovation, AMC Global
To truly leverage the functional ingredient trend, you’ll need a deep understanding of the 'why' behind consumer choices. Miriam Konz, SVP of corporate strategy and innovation at AMC Global, takes a look at some of the overarching factors.
On a macro level, health and wellness is as important than ever. Yet there are many facets to this: do consumers want sugar or sweeteners or are they more concerned about functional benefits or clean label ingredients? Soft drink company Britvic puts...
The increased demand for functional food and drink is anticipated to boost sports drinks sales – and yet, at the same time, growing functional claims across neighboring categories is likely to stiffen competition. How should sports drinks navigate this...
