The new edition of the proprietary Symrise trend tool trendscope™ 2024+ has delivered valuable key findings. It provides an overview of current consumer trends and future developments in food and beverages. According to it, health and naturalness continue as the most relevant trend drivers. At the same time, climate-smart innovation and circular consumption is getting more important while digitalisation exerts a fast-growing effect on consumer lives and the industry. By combining qualitative and quantitative research methods the study serves as an important basis for the development of consumer-preferred taste, nutrition, and health solutions.
Consumers today expect a lot from the food and beverage products they choose. They are looking for sustainable, healthy, and tasty options. This leads to the question: How do these expectations translate into food and beverage trends and how can Symrise best respond? trendscope™ provides comprehensive information on trends and investigates how they drive innovation. The results of the tool go into different trendscope™ reports. Symrise uses these insights to translate consumer wishes into innovative food and beverage concepts with inspiring taste, nutrition, and health solutions.
“Consumer behaviors and mindsets change over time and so do their demands for food and beverages,” says Leif Jago, Global Marketing Manager Food & Beverage at Symrise. “trendscope™ allows us to closely monitor and anticipate market shifts. This creates an important basis to design solutions that deliver against these evolving needs.”
Combining qualitative and quantitative research
To decode latest food and beverage consumer trends, trendscope™ combines different methods of analysis. The qualitative research contains for example a meta-analysis of consumer reports, start-up and social media screening, an innovation scan, and insights from the Symrise taste treks with the chef network StarChefs. The quantitative research comprises a meta-analysis of existing studies and surveys and polls related to consumer behavior and mindsets. In addition, social media listening, and AI-based trend forecasting support the findings. This goes hand in hand with an analysis of global urban hot spots. In twelve global locations, Symrise conducted 24 interviews with selected trendsetters like food bloggers, journalists, and trend scouts.
“The tool’s global scope allows us to tailor trends to regional specifics. Based on this, Symrise can develop taste, nutrition and health solutions and tailor them to consumer demands in specific regions and categories. This, in turn, helps our customers to respond to decoded consumer desires with the right food and beverages,” concludes Jago.
The new offer of trendscope™ 2024+
To increase the relevance of trendscope™ further for the Symrise teams and customers, several key changes got incorporated. The current edition puts a spotlight on health as consumer health awareness is growing and has evolved into a key innovation driver. In addition, digitalisation and sustainability are now forming standalone megatrends. Both exert a huge influence on consumer lives and industries. From a research perspective, trendscope™ 2024+ uses more quantitative data sources. This includes social media listening and surveys.
The trendscope™ 2024+ edition got compiled during a global polycrisis. Consumers face a crisis continuum ranging from COVID-19 and its effects to the Ukraine war, rising cost-of-living, surging inflation, and looming recession. As a result, consumers look for stability and emotional anchors. At the same time, they change their buying behavior due to cost-consciousness. Overall, the polycrisis serves as an accelerator of change that boosts or slows down specific consumer needs.
Six global megatrends with several sub-trends identified
Symrise has identified six megatrends. “Digitalisation” forms an underlying macrotrend that permeates all areas of life. It has become a game changer for innovation. The other five items represent trend clusters with several sub-trends.
“Purposeful Sustainability” focuses on the urgency to act in a resource-saving manner. It also includes the consumer wish of making product choices with a positive impact on the climate. Regenerative eating and circular thinking play a key role here. The “Natural Goodness” cluster centers around the wish for natural and clean label plant-based products. This comes with a more critical eye toward ingredients and production methods. Another cluster relates to “Healthy Lifestyle”. Consumers have started considering mental and physical wellness combined. Products supporting mental health and emotional wellbeing experience a boost. At the same time, consumer look for guided health choices to navigate the complex landscape of inflationary health claims. “Emotional Discoveries” presents the wish of consumers for social connection and memorable experiences after the pandemic. At the same time, they demand higher standards of originality, quality and authenticity when discovering new tastes. The “Premium Indulgence” cluster gets strongly characterised by value orientation. Consumers look for indulgent moments in times of rising costs of living. They try to find bliss in little things to treat themselves.
The Symrise experts use these trendscope™ insights to investigate what they mean for the company’s portfolio. “We operate very agile and keep an eye on the competencies we need to address in view of important consumer needs. We want to support our customers in achieving their goals while contributing to Symrise’s sustainable growth,” adds Regine Lueghausen, Vice President Global Marketing Food & Beverage at Symrise.
New formulation of award-winning ingredient expands applications into sports and cognition products including RTDs and shots
Nektium has developed a new water-soluble formulation of its award-winning nootropic Zynamite® for cognitive and sports nutrition drinks.
Used to support mental and physical energy, Zynamite® is a Mangifera indica extract created from sustainably harvested mango leaves. The natural caffeine alternative has been the subject of 10 clinical studies and multiple industry awards since its launch in 2018, earning global recognition for its fast-acting, experiential benefits.
Nektium’s scientists have now created Zynamite® S to meet growing demand for innovative energy, sports and hydration drinks. It is designed for use in applications such as RTDs and shots where solubility, heat stability and transparency in solution are key.
Zynamite® S also has a neutral taste and is formulated to enable improved absorption of its bioactive component, mangiferin, which allows for reduced dosages.
Nektium Commercial & Partnership Director Bruno Berheide said: “Excessive caffeine intake is becoming a hot topic and there is high demand for alternatives that deliver instant power and energy that consumers can really feel. Zynamite® stands out as a non-stim energy alternative, naturally enhancing mental and physical energy in a smarter way – and without the side effects of caffeine. Our new Zynamite® S allows manufacturers the opportunity to formulate innovative beverages that can help consumers ‘get in the zone’ and perform at their best without suffering jitters and anxiety.”
Hybrid drinks
Zynamite® S can be used alone or in combination with caffeine to provide mental energy and focus as well as supporting physical energy, improved performance and recovery.
It is therefore ideally positioned to tap into the trend for hybrid beverages that blur the lines between energy and sports drinks. Innova Market Insights research shows that of the 56 % of consumers worldwide who regularly use hydration products in conjunction with their exercise routines, more than a third use energy drinks.1
Bruno Berheide added: “In today’s dynamic functional beverage market, many brands are innovating with hybrid products that offer both mental and physical energy. Zynamite® S is the perfect option for these products as it delivers clinically backed benefits for mental energy and sports performance within just one hour.”
Clinical benefits
Zynamite® is supported by a portfolio of safety data and its efficacy has been demonstrated in clinical studies in recognised journals.
Research has shown that, within one hour, a single dose of Zynamite® enhances mental energy and improves performance under fatigued conditions. In addition, it does not increase heart rate or blood pressure, avoiding the side effects associated with caffeine.2
In 2020, Nutrients published a clinical study examining its impact on cognitive performance in adults. It provided evidence that a single dose of Zynamite® significantly improved cognitive function and performance across a battery of cognitive tasks, including improved focus, improved memory and reduced mental fatigue.3
An independent study in Nutrients in 2024, meanwhile, examined the effects of a single dose of Zynamite® combined with quercetin on top basketball players in Greece during a basketball exercise stimulation test. Participants in the supplement group were faster, showing a statistically significant improvement in mean circuit lap time compared to those in the placebo group.4
1https://www.innovamarketinsights.com/trends/sports-and-energy-drink-trends/ 2López-Ríos, L. et al. ‘Central nervous system activities of extract Mangifera indica L.’ Journal of Ethnopharmacology (2020) 3Wightman, E.L. et al. ‘Acute Effects of a Polyphenol-Rich Leaf Extract of Mangifera indica L. (Zynamite) on Cognitive Function in Healthy Adults: A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Crossover Study’ Nutrients (2020) 4Bourdas, D.I. et al. ‘Effects of a Singular Dose of Mangiferin–Quercetin Supplementation on Basketball Performance: A Double-Blind Crossover Study of High-Level Male Players’ Nutrients (2024)
Döhler, a global provider of natural ingredients, ingredient systems and integrated solutions, and Vertosa, the market-leading infusion technology company for cannabis and hemp products, announce a strategic research and development partnership for the food, beverage and nutrition industries. This partnership is set to spark a new wave of innovative life science products in the beverage sector.
While Vertosa will continue to handle its category leading Cannabis and Hemp infusions, Döhler will develop natural ingredients and ingredient blends to complement Vertosa’s offering. Those blends can contain everything from natural flavours, natural colours, juices, botanical extracts to sweetening solutions. Under the terms of the partnership, Vertosa will benefit from Döhler’s research, development and application expertise and its vast experience in the beverage space. This partnership will give Vertosa access to Döhler’s prime product portfolio and technologies to co-develop innovative beverage formulations and proprietary infusion technologies for successful lifestyle beverages.
Benjamin Larson, CEO of Vertosa, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership: “Through Döhler’s partnership, we’re not only gaining a treasury of knowledge but also the capabilities to co-create intellectual property that brings success for customers with a new range of life science beverages. This union is about more than innovation; it’s about setting the gold standard for what cannabis beverages can and should be.”
The collaboration includes an investment from Döhler Ventures, the company’s entrepreneurial investor, focused on startups within the global Nutrition & Technology ecosystem. Dr. Sebastian Dreher from Döhler Ventures adds, “We’re thrilled to support this collaboration. The investment reflects the long-term commitment to both the relationship and product categories, being driven by Vertosa’s professional management, thought leadership and market momentum.”
Both companies envision this partnership as a pioneering step toward a robust future for a new generation of life science beverages and beyond, combining Döhler’s global reach and natural ingredient and application expertise with Vertosa’s leading infusion technologies.
Paul Graham, CEO Döhler North America, emphasises, “Teaming up with Vertosa is a game-changer, propelling the market trend to new heights. By combining our expertise in natural ingredients with Vertosa’s infusion technology, we’re not just innovating, we’re leading the way together. It’s real, it’s authentic and it’s a step into a future where we explore the possibilities for enhanced and better drinks. We can’t wait for what is coming and we know it will be successful both ways.”
This collaboration is expected to elevate product development to new standards, offering consumers enhanced sensory experiences and supporting the rapid expansion of the cannabis and hemp ingredients in the beverage industry.
The pioneer of organic, cold-pressed beverages expands into a new category with plant-based protein shake line
Suja Organic, a leader in cold-pressed, organic beverages in the U.S., announced the launch of Suja Organic Protein Shakes, a new line of elevated ready-to-drink (RTD) protein. It offers 16 g of plant-based pea, rice and hemp protein, and convenient, transparent nutrition from plants. Available in three varieties including Vanilla Cinnamon, Chocolate and Coffee Bean. The new product offering marks Suja Organic’s entry into the fast-growing RTD protein market.
Suja Organic’s purposeful protein blends combine powerhouse whole foods, functional ingredients, essential vitamins (Vitamins A, B, C, D and E), minerals (iron, calcium and potassium), and macro-nutrients for foundational nutrition. Each shake is 200 calories, blended with almond milk and coconut cream for rich smoothness, with 3 – 4 grams of Acacia fiber.
Additional flavour details include:
Vanilla Cinnamon – The perfect balance of vanilla with a swirl of cinnamon and a smooth finish. Think of the milk you look forward to drinking at the end of a bowl of cereal.
Chocolate – Cocoa and salt support a bold chocolatey flavour. A mix of memorable flavours like chocolate pudding and chocolate milk comes through with each sip.
Coffee Bean – Subtle coffee flavour with underlying notes of creamy, smooth vanilla and cocoa in a plant-based offering.
Suja Organic was founded in 2012 with a mission to provide foundational nutrition. With the introduction of Suja Organic Protein Shakes, the company aims to further its purpose by providing customers with a healthy, convenient beverage as part of a well-balanced diet. The high-quality, plant-rich concentrated blends harness nutrition straight from nature with protein from real organic plants, vitamins, and nutrients that recharge, balance, and fuel the body.
Suja Organic Protein Shakes will retail for $4.99 per 12oz. bottle and are available in the U.S. in Target stores and on target.com.
About Suja Organic: Suja Organic is a leading organic, Non-GMO, cold-pressed juice brand and among the fastest growing beverage companies in the U.S. Suja began from a shared dream to help people transform their lives through conscious nutrition and is notably one of the first juice companies to offer organic, cold-pressed juice. Each of Suja’s handcrafted lines are certified organic, Non-GMO project verified and cold pressured to preserve maximum nutrition and taste. With cold-pressed juices and functional shots, there’s a product for every lifestyle. Suja is available for purchase at most major grocery and natural foods stores in the U.S. and select products can be purchased online at SujaOrganic.com.
Consumers are turning to tea, coffee and energy drinks as they reduce their alcohol intake, Prinova research has shown. The report also suggests that even more drinkers – younger ones in particular – would cut back if a wider range of healthy non-alcoholic beverages were available.
To explore current trends in the beverage space, Prinova, the leading provider of bespoke premixes and blends, surveyed 1277 physically active European consumers.* More than four in ten (42.5 %) said they had reduced their alcohol intake over the past three years, compared to just 15 % who reported drinking more. Consumers aged 25-34 were the most likely to say they were consuming less alcohol.
Among those who had cut down on alcohol, most were turning to healthier beverage options including coffee, tea, still water and juices/smoothies, with preferences varying by age, gender, and location. Consumers over the age of 65 were five times more likely than average to have increased their consumption of dairy beverages, while alcohol-free beer was significantly more popular with older age groups than Gen Z.
Over a third (35 %) of men who had cut down on alcohol were drinking more energy drinks as a result. Energy also emerged as the top wellness benefit sought in healthy beverages, ahead of hydration and post-exercise recovery.
In the cohort who had not reduced their alcohol intake, over half said they would be likely to do so if a wider range of healthy beverages were available. This was particularly true of millennials (64 %).
When asked which ingredients they most looked for in healthy drinks, 65 % of respondents picked vitamins and 48 % chose minerals. Plant protein also scored highly as a desirable beverage ingredient, ahead of both fruit and whey protein. Other purchase drivers for healthy beverages included affordability, natural ingredients, trusted brand, and scientifically proven ingredients.
James Street, Global Marketing Director at Prinova, said: “Consumers are increasingly re-evaluating their relationship with alcohol, whether that means embracing the ‘sober-curious’ trend, or simply moderating their intake. However, our research also suggests that many more would be persuaded do so if they could replace booze with appealing healthy alternatives. Given the scale of this market need, and the increasingly wide range of on-trend functional ingredients available, it’s clear that there are still huge opportunities for innovation in the functional beverage space.”
With the world’s largest inventory of food-grade single vitamins, and as the leading supplier of vitamins B and C, Prinova can help manufacturers create beverages with premium micronutrients. Its other solutions include enduracarb®, a slow-release “double sugar” which is ideal for energy drinks and sports nutrition beverages, and AlphaTeaTM, a 100 % natural solution for functional beverages derived from green tea extract.
*Online survey of consumers in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK.
GNT has launched a new range of plant-based EXBERRY® concentrates that enable manufacturers to achieve clean-label brown shades in low-pH soft drinks.
EXBERRY® Shade Autumn Brown and EXBERRY® Shade Golden Brown can deliver clear reddish-brown and caramel-brown hues in still and carbonated soft drinks.
There is a growing demand for natural brown colours that do not pose any health concerns to consumers or contain any of the 14 allergens specified under the EU Labeling Regulation.
Made using caramelised sugar syrup, the new EXBERRY® browns offer a clean-label solution that is also naturally free from gluten. They can provide an excellent alternative to caramel (E150) in applications including natural colas, energy drinks, and iced lattes.
Helen Vine, Key Account Manager at GNT Group, said: “This new EXBERRY® range was created to meet the rising demand for natural, plant-based browns that can deliver clear shades in beverages. Our concentrates allow brands to maximise their drinks’ appeal with eye-catching colours alongside clean and clear ingredient lists.”
The liquid-based colours are created from edible, non-GMO fruit and vegetables and are suitable for vegan, kosher, and halal diets. EXBERRY® Shade Autumn Brown contains carrot concentrate in addition to the caramelised sugar syrup while EXBERRY® Shade Golden Brown also includes apple concentrate.
Both products provide high-performing, clear solutions with no formation of turbidity or sediment even in acidic beverages with pH levels below 3.0. In addition, they offer excellent light and heat stability and are easy to pump and dose.
The pioneer of organic, cold-pressed beverages expands into a new category with plant-based protein shake line
Suja Organic, a leader in cold-pressed, organic beverages in the U.S., announced the launch of Suja Organic Protein Shakes, a new line of elevated ready-to-drink (RTD) protein. It offers 16 g of plant-based pea, rice and hemp protein, and convenient, transparent nutrition from plants. Available in three varieties including Vanilla Cinnamon, Chocolate and Coffee Bean. The new product offering marks Suja Organic’s entry into the fast-growing RTD protein market.
Suja Organic’s purposeful protein blends combine powerhouse whole foods, functional ingredients, essential vitamins (Vitamins A, B, C, D and E), minerals (iron, calcium and potassium), and macro-nutrients for foundational nutrition. Each shake is 200 calories, blended with almond milk and coconut cream for rich smoothness, with 3 – 4 grams of Acacia fiber.
Additional flavour details include:
Vanilla Cinnamon – The perfect balance of vanilla with a swirl of cinnamon and a smooth finish. Think of the milk you look forward to drinking at the end of a bowl of cereal.
Chocolate – Cocoa and salt support a bold chocolatey flavour. A mix of memorable flavours like chocolate pudding and chocolate milk comes through with each sip.
Coffee Bean – Subtle coffee flavour with underlying notes of creamy, smooth vanilla and cocoa in a plant-based offering.
Suja Organic was founded in 2012 with a mission to provide foundational nutrition. With the introduction of Suja Organic Protein Shakes, the company aims to further its purpose by providing customers with a healthy, convenient beverage as part of a well-balanced diet. The high-quality, plant-rich concentrated blends harness nutrition straight from nature with protein from real organic plants, vitamins, and nutrients that recharge, balance, and fuel the body.
Suja Organic Protein Shakes will retail for $4.99 per 12oz. bottle and are available in the U.S. in Target stores and on target.com.
About Suja Organic: Suja Organic is a leading organic, Non-GMO, cold-pressed juice brand and among the fastest growing beverage companies in the U.S. Suja began from a shared dream to help people transform their lives through conscious nutrition and is notably one of the first juice companies to offer organic, cold-pressed juice. Each of Suja’s handcrafted lines are certified organic, Non-GMO project verified and cold pressured to preserve maximum nutrition and taste. With cold-pressed juices and functional shots, there’s a product for every lifestyle. Suja is available for purchase at most major grocery and natural foods stores in the U.S. and select products can be purchased online at SujaOrganic.com.
Tate & Lyle renews partnership with the China Foundation for Rural Development for a third year to help improve children’s diets and nutrition education
Tate & Lyle PLC, a world leader in ingredient solutions for healthier and tastier food and beverages, is delighted to announce that it has renewed its partnership with the China Foundation for Rural Development for a third year. This partnership is part of Tate& Lyle’s ‘Healthy Eating, Happy Learning – Child Health Improvement Programme’ in China which works to improve children’s diets, support healthier lifestyles, and provide education on nutrition.
Through this partnership, children in schools in underdeveloped areas of China’s Yunnan and Guizhou provinces will receive a nutritious daily snack throughout the school year. In addition, schools in Guizhou province will benefit from the installation of modern kitchen equipment in their canteens, and Tate & Lyle will work with nutrition experts from the Chinese national authorities to provide nutrition education for students and teachers.
Since its establishment in September 2021, Tate& Lyle’s partnership with the China Foundation for Rural Development has provided:
Over 400,000nutritional snacks to 3,000 children in 12 schools.
Over 200 pieces of new kitchen equipment to 11 schools, benefiting 3,000 children.
Working with experts from the Chinese Nutrition Society, produced customised nutrition and health education booklets and posters for children, and held nutrition classes for 500 students and 700 teachers.
This is one of many partnerships Tate & Lyle operates in communities across the world, including in the US, UK and Brazil, to support healthier living and help build thriving communities.
This year’s Fi Europe embodied all the ingredients of a successful event, showcasing a winning combination of sourcing, innovation, networking and education.
In a milestone year for benchmarking organised event success, Fi Europe 2023 has shown that there is more demand than ever for a dynamic platform uniting the international ingredients industry. This year’s event, which attracted 23,149 attendees from 135 countries around the globe, was a resounding success, reaffirming its positive contribution to F&B industry innovation, collaboration and dialogue.
The build-up started on 20 November, when the event platform went live, enabling attendees to access exclusive content previews, coordinate meetings and stream a live keynote session. Then, on 27 November, the Future of Nutrition Summit kicked off a carefully curated in-person content programme designed to inspire and inform whilst facilitating networking and discussion. Speakers from Nestlé, Microsoft, Deloitte and the United Nations Global Compact gave their takes on the trends and technologies reshaping the food industry landscape.
On 28 November, Fi Europe opened its doors to reveal a vibrant show floor that was to become a hive of networking activity for the next three days. Over 1400 exhibition stands occupied four halls packed with ingredients and solutions from all over the world, providing a sensory spectacle and a wealth of sourcing opportunities. Many attendees also took advantage of the additional inspiration offered by the Innovation Tours, New Product Zone and Innovation Hub.
The first day culminated with the announcement of the Fi Europe Innovation Awards and Startup Innovation Challenge winners. Honoured at a special ceremony, the recipients were chosen by an expert judging panel for their outstanding contributions to the F&B ingredients industry.
The two-day Fi Europe Conference, which ran in parallel to the exhibition, provided a further forum for exchanges on the latest advancements and future trends in the F&B industry. The agenda revolved around four topical themes: plant-based, health & wellbeing, alternative ingredients & protein, and reformulation & ingredient innovation. Speakers from a broad cross-section of commercial, academic and research organisations, including Mintel, Euromonitor, NIZO, Wageningen University, Rabobank and Cultivated Biosciences, made for a varied and insightful programme.
Sustainability as an industry challenge was a thematic thread throughout this year’s event, with dedicated features such as the Sustainability Hub and content that focused on ethical sourcing, transparency, regulatory compliance, ESG and gender equity, creating a forum for constructive discussions in this important area.
The industry’s challenge of cultivating a strong pipeline of emerging talent was addressed at Fi Europe 2023 through the introduction of a new programme designed to facilitate connections between students and businesses. The Future Food Leaders Day, which took place on 30 November, gave university students valuable insight into the potential trajectory of a career in the F&B industry.
Yannick Verry, Brand Manager, Food ingredients Europe & Americas, at Informa Markets, says: “For me, feeling the buzz of this year’s show reinforced the important role that Fi Europe fulfils for the global food & beverage community. Not only does it provide a forum for making meaningful connections and discovering new ingredients and technologies, it also makes an important contribution to advancing discussions and thinking around innovation, sustainability and the future of the industry. We are already looking forward to 2024, when Fi Europe will return to Frankfurt, from 19-21 November.”
Selecta, Europe’s leading route-based, self-service FoodTech provider, and Vitamin Well, a leading provider of functional beverages and protein bars, announce an exciting collaboration across European markets.
Embarking on a dynamic partnership, Selecta and Vitamin Well have joined forces to offer a selection of healthier and great-tasting offerings, enriching Selecta’s vending Solution globally. In this venture, Vitamin Well’s vitamin water and Barebells protein bars take center stage, aiming to provide consumers with better alternatives on-the-go.
Vitamin Well has a range of distinct great-tasting flavours, all non-carbonated, low-calorie, and enriched with versatile combinations of vitamins and minerals. The beverage comes in bottles made of 100 percent recycled plastics. Vitamin Well is the market leader in Sweden and has become a consumer favourite in many other European markets.
Vitamin Well also provides Barebells, protein-enriched snacks that never compromise on flavour or texture. Barebells’ wide range of protein bars is available in 40 markets around the world and has quickly assumed a leading position in several countries. Through Selecta’s leading self-service machines, the brand’s iconic Original Protein Bars will be available to consumers on-the-go all over Europe.
Jens van Beusekom CPO at Selecta Group commented: “We strongly believe in fostering collaboration with Vitamin Well and Barebells as the brands have earned widespread popularity worldwide. We are thrilled to introduce a range of nutritional snacks that cater to the needs of our young on-the-go consumers.”
Joost Kroeb, Head of International Accounts at Vitamin Well, added: “Selecta has a unique position on the market, both when it comes to international spread and number of locations. As such, this cooperation will increase consumer awareness of Vitamin Well and Barebells both in our mature markets and markets where we see great potential going forward.”
The partnership covers products in Selecta solutions all over Europe, as well as point-of-sale marketing on the machines to increase awareness of the new offerings.
Selecta and Vitamin Well look forward to a successful partnership that reshapes the vending landscape, bringing healthier and better-tasting alternatives to consumers in the public-, private-, and semi-public sectors, delighting consumers in major European cities, airports, train stations and more.
BrauBeviale 2023 in Nuremberg can look back on three successful days. With Thursday’s final day, Europe’s leading trade fair for the brewing and beverage industry got back on track after a four-year break. Rolf Keller, Managing Director of organiser YONTEX, is appropriately satisfied: “With strong visitor demand from over 120 countries and from all sectors of the beverage industry, our three-day show once again scored highly: The technical exchanges between experts, the wide range of exhibitors and the specialist topics addressed in the supporting programme were extremely well received by visitors. BrauBeviale once again confirmed its position in the industry when it comes to delivering answers to current challenges.”
Well-frequented halls and intensive, high-quality discussions were the major take-aways for many exhibitors: key topics included energy saving in the manufacturing process, new filling systems and optimising efficiency through increased automation. Furthermore, exhibitors delivered answers to the requirements of European packaging legislation and showed awareness of the need to consistently align manufacturing processes with sustainability criteria.
Excellent response to the supporting programme
The supporting programme also provided a strong impetus for the entire industry: THE LOGISTIK LOUNGE, for example, demonstrated numerous reusability solutions and made positive suggestions for the future direction of the logistics chain during its discussion forums. This offering in particular was perceived as an important addition to the overall BrauBeviale programme.
The Young Talents Camp got off to an equally promising start: The new networking lounge concept aimed at attracting young Gen Z talent to all areas and levels of the beverage industry was a complete success. “We had excellent responses to this offer. I can already say that we will be stepping up our activities in this interdisciplinary area for the benefit of the whole industry,” says Executive Director Andrea Kalrait.
With the special “Grape processing and Cellar Management”, area BrauBeviale 2023 broke new ground. Exhibitors there were able to present their products specifically for the wine industry. It was a new platform in which winegrowers could learn about solutions for their own specific businesses. The additional benefit for this group of visitors was that bottling technology and packaging as well as solutions for product equipment could simply be ‘taken away’ following a visit to the trade fair in the nine BrauBeviale halls.
Expert meetings and presentations covering a wide range of topics
The well-proven and broad-based programme of the BrauBeviale Forum once again presented a wide range of ideas, ranging from securing raw materials in the face of climate change, to best practice examples from marketing. On the last day of the show the ExportForum German Beverages supplied valuable ideas for sales development of German beverages in attractive international markets. What influence do today’s multiple challenges and changes have on the food and beverage industry? This question was addressed in an introductory presentation by specialists from the food and beverage sector.
High level of interest from an international audience
BrauBeviale 2023 once more positioned itself strongly as a platform for the industry – predominantly in other European countries. Around 45 per cent of exhibitors came from abroad. The show’s potential has also been recognised by representatives of other nations. During the visit by the Italian Consul General Sergio Maffettone and the American Consul General Timothy Liston, the BrauBeviale team was able to document the consistent development of the trade fair into an international meeting place. The visit of the Italian Consul General was particularly focussed on the Italian exhibitors, who made up the second largest group of exhibitors after the German exhibitors. The American Consul General informed himself about suppliers with innovative solutions as well as some suppliers with complete offers for brewery operations. In addition, by visiting the Young Talents Camp, he focussed his attention on the topic of recruiting young talent – one of the most pressing tasks for the industry in the near future.
The show organiser YONTEX considers this high level of interest, which also comes from official representatives of some major market players in the beverage sector, as confirmation that the company is on course to further develop the specialisation of its product portfolio for the brewing and beverage industry.
Sweegen, a global leader in wellness ingredient and taste modulation technologies, is addressing the pressing issue of mislabeling within the stevia industry, specifically concerning Reb M stevia sold under false claims intentionally.
Sweegen is the primary producer of the highly sought-after non-GMO Bestevia® Reb M, made with a proprietary clean bioconversion method. Through independent testing, the company has determined that certain third-party Reb M products sold to food and beverage companies under label claims of “Reb-M 95 %,” “Bioconversion Reb-M 95 %,” or “Stevia (Organic) Extract Reb-M 95 %” are not made through extraction or bioconversion.
These false claims have significant implications for stakeholders, including food and beverage companies, consumers, and the stevia technology community.
Food and beverage companies are confronted with significant challenges arising from mislabeling, particularly the erosion of consumer trust and brand reputation. The authenticity of products is paramount to maintaining consumer confidence and loyalty, and any discrepancy between product labeling and actual content can significantly undermine trust. For companies that prioritize transparency and integrity, the risk of reputational damage is particularly acute if their products become associated with false claims. This underscores the critical importance of accurate labeling practices in preserving the trustworthiness of brands.
Protecting consumer rights through transparency and honesty
Consumers rely on accurate food labeling for making informed choices, especially when it comes to health-related decisions. False claims can lead to misjudgment, and consumers may unknowingly consume products that don’t meet their dietary preferences or health needs.
Some consumers may choose products made through specific processes for environmental sustainability or naturalness. False claims undermine consumers’ ability to make choices aligned with their values.
Respecting and protecting Intellectual Property (IP)
Sweegen places a high value on IP and innovation on its high-purity Bestevia Reb M made through bioconversion within the stevia technology community. The company is committed to upholding the integrity of its IP and respecting others’ innovations. By and large, Sweegen is dedicated to IP protection, ensuring a fair and competitive landscape and encouraging continued advancements in sweetener technologies.
Reiteration of Reb-M patent for non-alcoholic applications
Sweegen emphasizes its patent rights, particularly regarding its Bestevia Reb M for non-alcoholic applications. The company upholds its patents and ensures that ist non-GMO Bestevia Reb M innovations are appropriately recognized and protected. Sweegen believes in fostering a climate that rewards genuine advancements and respects the IP rights of all industry stakeholders.
Offering authenticity testing for Reb-M samples
To further enhance transparency and provide assurance to the food and beverage industry, Sweegen is extending an offer to test all Reb-M samples for authenticity. This initiative aims to assist companies in verifying the integrity of their stevia products and reinforces Sweegen’s commitment to maintaining the highest stevia quality standards in the industry.
Mislabeling on purpose threatens market differentiation and creates confusion about investing in cutting-edge technologies. Innovators in the industry risk losing their competitive edge if competitors intentionally make false claims about similar products. Recognizing and rewarding genuine innovations becomes crucial in fostering a marketplace that values and encourages technological advancements. Ensuring accurate labeling practices is not only a matter of compliance but also fundamental to sustaining a fair and competitive market landscape.
Continued investigation into adulterated Reb-M
Sweegen is actively investigating reports of adulterated Reb M originating from China and entering the U.S. and EU markets directly or indirectly. The company is committed to thorough research and plans to collaborate with relevant authorities to report findings to U.S. and EU customs. Sweegen is determined to address any issues related to product authenticity and maintain the highest standards in the stevia industry.
In addition to consumer trust, regulatory compliance is a central concern for food and beverage companies. Regulatory bodies establish specific guidelines and standards for labeling food products, especially those incorporating novel ingredients such as stevia produced through various methods. Companies found to violate these regulations may face legal consequences. Adhering to established guidelines is a legal imperative and key to ensuring consumer safety and maintaining the industry’s integrity.
It is essential to note that bioconversion stevia holds the advantage of claiming non-GMO verification. Sweegen believes that accurately labeling products as bioconversion stevia aligns with regulatory approval and provides consumers with clear information about this innovative sweetener’s unique characteristics and benefits.
False claims undermine the scientific integrity of the industry. Accurate representation of research and development is crucial for advancing knowledge within the community.
Sweegen remains steadfast in its commitment to innovation, transparency, and consumer safety. The company will continue collaborating with industry stakeholders, regulatory bodies, and customs authorities to uphold the highest standards in producing and labeling stevia products.
SET Flavors™ by Symrise help create unique taste, nutrition, and health solutions. They use superior separation technologies to access and enrich the characteristics from food essentials or valuable product side streams. The Selective Enrichment Technologies of the SET Flavors™ brand combine efficient processes and advanced technologies that enable Symrise and its partners to capture nature´s complexity, creating both signature and authentic taste profiles.
Consumers today place great focus on sustainability. Caring for planetary health is driving their consumption habits and demands, especially in food and beverages. Avoiding food waste with concepts like ‘reuse, reduce, recycle or re-engineer’ form the dominating trends. At the same time, taste continues to drive their preferences. Important buying criteria for food and beverages include signature, rich taste as well as authentic, natural ingredients. Consequently, food and beverage manufacturers must combine both consumer wishes with great tasting, authentic products while ensuring sustainable development processes.
“Consumers want to know and understand what their food consists of, where the ingredients come from, how they get processed, and how the planet and people throughout the production process benefit,” says Leif Jago, Global Marketing Manager Food & Beverage at Symrise.
Valorisation of natural product side streams for flavour creation
Symrise SET Flavors™ addresses these consumer wishes and matches the future’s ecosystem deployment. It supports the innovation network with strategic partners to source, enrich, decode, and optionally transform nature’s complexity for the creation of taste solutions by using selected natural raw materials.
SET Flavors™ makes natural raw materials accessible with a smart combination of extraction, separation, and concentration technologies. This includes adsorption, nano- and ultra-filtration, fractional distillation, and osmosis based on advanced membrane developments. These technologies enable Symrise to access the enriched and authentic essentials needed to deliver nature´s full complexity in its product solutions.
In addition, SET Flavors™ links closely to the technical research platforms of Symrise: Sensory Guided Analysis, AgroScience, Biotechnology, and Separation Technologies. They combine the objective to identify, enrich and reconstitute side stream materials. This aims at degrading or eliminating undesired odor and taste actives from complex raw materials and enriching the pleasant components of raw materials.
SET Flavors™ covers the utilisation of solid or liquid side streams from the food industry – including pomaces, sift outs, materials from the preservation process, vegetable processing, fermentation, and cell materials. This approach helps Symrise identify value adding components. By using natural conversion processes – such as biotransformation via enzymes or fermentation – SET Flavors™ generates signature profiles for use in beverage and culinary applications, which contribute to culinary complexity and pleasant taste profiles.
Authentic, signature taste for food and beverage manufacturers
“Our new brand SET Flavors™ is championing a dedicated combination of technologies to source, enrich, decode and transform value from nature,” explains Stefan Brennecke, Master Technologist and Head of Separation Science in Research & Technology Food & Beverage at Symrise. “In doing so, it generates a unique value proposition for our products and customers to serve superiority and consumer preferred market products.”
The technologies enable a better use of existing specialties and solutions to achieve a certain taste or aroma effect, including juiciness, masking, complexity, and authenticity. Their deployment enables Symrise to provide uniqueness and added value to its taste solutions, delivering signature food and beverage products for customers. SET Flavors™ deploys various principles of circular economy and contributes to a more sustainable food system by processing materials from side streams.
The SET Flavors™ technologies are established in production or pilot scale. Based on the composition of the new raw materials, the Research & Technology and Production teams use their expertise to modify and optimize processes. Using this as a base, the research platforms are continuously exploring new technological approaches and processes to reduce costs, energy and avoid waste materials.
“As a new brand, SET Flavors™ strongly align with the core competencies of Taste, Nutrition and Health – supporting sustainability as an integral part of our company philosophy,” adds Uwe Schäfer, Director Applied Research in Research & Technology Food & Beverage at Symrise. “With the combination of great, authentic taste and sustainable practices, SET Flavors™ contributes to our approach towards naturalness in the Symrise code of nature™ platform. The brand supports manufacturers to develop unique food and beverage products, while responding to the consumer need for sustainable and planet-friendly consumption.”
ofi (olam food ingredients), a global leader in naturally good food and beverage ingredients, is celebrating the official opening of the first phase of its new, state-of-the-art dairy processing plant located in the dairy heartland of New Zealand – the Waikato region in the north island of the country. The facility will produce dairy ingredients like whole milk powder to meet growing demand, targeting key customer applications in dessert, bakery, beverage, and confectionery categories.
Sandeep Jain, Managing Director and CEO, Dairy, at ofi commented: “As we continue to expand our dairy manufacturing capabilities and innovation infrastructure, the new Tokoroa plant will become part of a global network that spans major milk consumption markets, such as South-East Asia, China, the Middle East, and Africa. The new plant also complements a suite of enhancements made to ofi’s dairy production facility and Ingredient Excellence Centre (IEC) in Johor, Malaysia back in September – which combined with our Customer Solutions Center based in Singapore, enables us to co-create bespoke food and beverage solutions for our customers. Our dairy business is well positioned to serve increased demand from our global customer base and co-create innovative applications at scale – driving additional focus on the value-added capabilities within our portfolio.”
The Tokoroa dairy ingredients forms part of ofi’s much wider natural ingredients portfolio which includes cocoa, coffee, nuts and spices, ideal combinations with dairy for customized products such as yogurts, protein bars and ready-to-drink tea, coffee and cocoa beverages. The new facility also complements ofi’s existing global footprint, driving stronger partnerships with its customers and strengthening its co-creation capabilities across the region.
The next stage of investment will see further capability added to the facility to develop high value dairy ingredients, expanding the range of ofi’s offering. It will also enable ofi to look at ways to grow the value of its milk, generating better returns for its farmer partners while delivering on its ambition to produce ingredients in a way that is socially responsible and environmentally sustainable.
Naval Sabri, Senior Vice President, Dairy, at ofi said: “The enthusiastic response we’ve received from local farmers shows that our partnership approach, and ofi’s global reputation as a leading dairy ingredients provider and innovator, has struck a chord with them.”
On November 2, 2023 the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) proposed to revoke the regulation authorising the use of brominated vegetable oil (BVO) in food. The FDA conducted studies that clearly show adverse health effects in animals in levels more closely approximating real-world exposure. Therefore, the FDA can no longer conclude that this use of BVO in food is safe.
The studies were conducted in collaboration with the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences’(NIEHS) Division of Translational Toxicology (formerly the Division of the National Toxicology Program), to assess unresolved toxicological questions. Results from these studies demonstrate bioaccumulation of bromine and toxic effects on the thyroid – a gland that produces hormones that play a key role in regulating blood pressure, body temperature, heart rate, metabolism and the reaction of the body to other hormones.
BVO is a vegetable oil that is modified with bromine. As authorised, it is used in small amounts, not to exceed 15 parts per million, as a stabiliser for fruit flavouring in beverages to keep the citrus flavouring from floating to the top. When used, BVO is required to be listed as an ingredient on the label as “brominated vegetable oil” or as the specific oil that has been brominated, such as “brominated soybean oil”.
Over time, many beverage makers have reformulated their products to replace BVO with an alternative ingredient. Today, few beverages in the US contain BVO.
GNT will open up an interactive “colour lab” for its plant-based EXBERRY® concentrates at Food Ingredients Europe (Frankfurt, 28-30 November 2023).
EXBERRY® Colouring Foods are edible concentrates made from non-GMO fruit, vegetables, and plants using physical processing methods such as chopping and boiling. They are available in more than 400 shades from across the whole rainbow and can be used in all food and drink categories.
At FiE 2023, GNT (stand 3.1G140) will showcase EXBERRY® concentrates’ versatility by inviting attendees to colour their own dairy, confectionery, and non-alcoholic beverages at special application stations.
The company’s dedicated in-house experts will also be available throughout the event to provide insights and advice into how EXBERRY® can meet consumer demand in different regions around the globe.
Petra Thiele, Managing Director at GNT Europa, said: “EXBERRY® allows manufacturers to achieve vibrant shades in almost any application while maintaining completely clean and clear labels. Our special ‘colour lab’ will give FiE visitors the chance to experiment with the possibilities for themselves and discover the incredible potential of our plant-based concentrates.”
Based on the concept of coloring food with food, EXBERRY® concentrates are classified as food ingredients rather than additives in the EU and many other parts of the world. They are also suitable for vegan, halal, and kosher diets.
To ensure the highest level of quality and year-round availability, GNT has a vertically integrated supply chain, with cultivation and harvesting monitored by GNT’s agricultural engineers.
Coca-Cola has launched a new limited-edition Coca-Cola 3000 Zero Sugar within the Coca-Cola Creations platform, with the help of artificial intelligence (AI). The AI, in cooperation with humans, helped create both the taste and the design of the can, as Coca-Cola tries to identify what the year 3000 would look like for beverages. It is not just Coca-Cola using AI in the soft drinks category. Unilever, owner of PepsiCo, has developed AI tools to optimise various aspects of its business operations. Against this backdrop, the usage of AI in the soft drinks industry is set to grow for the discovery of new flavours and to enhance the efficiency of business operations, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
Coca-Cola started with a core question to its customers: What would the year 3000 look like? Consumers were asked how they saw Coca-Cola in the year 3000 via the Coca-Cola Creations platforms. The company then used AI to analyse all the responses to create the framework for the futuristic product based on how people see the future through emotions, ambitions, colours and flavours.
Dragos Dumitrachi, Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Based on these inputs from consumers and its knowledge of beverage trends, the AI created a unique packaging and flavour profile for a carbonate in the year 3000. The packaging format is colourful, with a mix of spherical shapes blended in purple, pink, and blue colours with a pixelated logo, and the AI primarily perceived the future as being sugar-free. This is to be expected as low-calorie carbonates recorded a 39 % growth between 2015 and 2023 globally, with this growth set to continue over the next five years, as consumers increasingly focus on their health and wellness. According to the latest global survey* by Global Data, 81 % of respondents consider that it is nice to have or essential for a product to be good for physical fitness/health.”
Global Data expects the AI market to grow from USD 81 billion in 2022 to USD 90 billion by 2030, with a 35 % compound annual growth rate (CAGR) during 2022-2030. Recent progress in machine learning (ML) on the back of improved algorithms (e.g., Google’s AlphaGo, OpenAI’s GPT-3/ChatGPT, Tesla’s AutoPilot) and increasing computing power have enabled AI to become more widely used in the soft drinks industry.
The AI-driven applications developed by Unilever leverage neural networks and the GPT API is aimed at enhancing the company’s ability to respond to the evolving needs of its consumer base and broader market dynamics. On top of that, Unilever is using AI to identify alternative ingredients that can reinforce the resilience of their supply chains, making their products more sustainable and cost-efficient, and streamlining the number of ingredients without impacting the effectiveness or quality of the products.
Dragos concludes: “The AI market in the soft drinks industry is still in its infancy; the rules and laws that will govern it are still under debate. Global Data is forecasting that the use of AI for supply chain, administrative issues, and the discovery of new flavours and packaging formats in the soft drinks industry will only grow.”
*GlobalData 2023 Q2 Consumer Survey – Global, with 21,595 respondents, published November 2022
Xampla research among the UK public found that two in five consumers (39 %)1 are concerned about their vitamin D intake, rising to half of those aged 18 – 341. Particularly in the UK as we go into shorter days and longer nights, the importance of Vitamin D for bone health and a healthy immune system is pulled into sharp focus.
With nearly three in five consumers (57 %)1 preferring to boost their vitamin intake through food and drink products rather than tablets, a solution for transporting and storing vitamins – at their full efficacy – within consumer’s favourite products, is critical.
However, preserving essential vitamins, such as Vitamin D has been a significant challenge for brands to overcome. Though vitamin D is vital for our overall health, it is very easily degraded by sunlight, pasteurisation and low pH when it is added to products.
As a result, vitamin D added to, say, orange juice is significantly less potent when it reaches supermarket shelves than it was in the factory, and less potent again by the time it is poured into a glass.
Xampla and Britvic’s partnership is therefore a game-changer for the food and beverage industry. A groundbreaking collaboration will bring to market their micropackaging technology, which protects vitamins and nutrients in liquid from UV light, external pH and heat shock by encasing them in an edible layer of plant-protein material.
This incredible 100 % vegan and gluten free technology isn’t limited to just vitamin D; it can be deployed for micropackaging any oil-based vitamin or flavouring, including vitamin A, D, E, or K. Best of all, drinks using this technology can be transported in clear plastic bottles because the nutrients are already protected from UV light.
This is particularly important, as Britvic’s research has shown that consumers are 40 % more likely to recycle clear bottles over coloured ones.
The exciting part of this partnership lies in its ability to bridge the gap between consumer needs and the limitations of traditionally unstable added ingredients. Britvic is proud to have been supported by the UK’s innovation agency, Innovate UK, in recognition of the opportunity this presents for the industry.
Now an additional Better Food For All government grant, which recognises innovation in nutrition, will enable Britvic to increase the roll out of these microcapsules on an even larger scale.
In the future, consumers will find an array of drinks fortified with vitamins, housed in clear recyclable plastic bottles, on local supermarket shelves. Together Britvic and Xampla are empowering consumers to make healthier choices without compromise.
1Polling commissioned by Xampla. Fieldwork completed by Yonder from 12 August to 16 August 2022 of 4,000 UK adults.
The tastemakers of the world will come together when Fi Europe returns to Frankfurt from 28-30 November
Food & beverage professionals are invited to step inside a microcosm of the ingredients world at this year’s Fi Europe. With 135 countries represented, over 25,000 visitors and 1,200 exhibitors are expected to come together under one roof, resulting in a rich, immersive opportunity to experience the energy of invention and profitable connection.
This year’s event blends real-world and digital interactions through the Fi Europe Event Platform, which will be open online pre- and post-show, extending the possibilities for exhibitors and visitors to discover new business opportunities, connect with the right people and be inspired by the latest industry trends and innovations. It also allows attendees to maximise their time in Frankfurt and prepare for the on-site event by planning a personalised agenda, bookmarking sessions they want to attend and reaching out to suppliers to set up meetings.
Fi Europe’s winning formula combines a bustling show floor with an insightful conference line-up. In the exhibition hall, attendees can access an unrivalled breadth of products spanning the entire food & beverage supply chain. The global exhibitor base includes many high-profile names such as Cargill, ABF Ingredients, Prinova, Brenntag and Lesaffre.
The Fi Europe Conference (28-29 November) and Future of Nutrition Summit (27 November) will provide exclusive, paid-for content that cannot be accessed elsewhere. It is focused on addressing current challenges and identifying immediate opportunities in the F&B industry. Its stellar speaker line-up includes Kalina Doykova, Senior Research Analyst at Euromonitor International, and Cyrille Filott, Global Strategist at Rabobank.
The Future of Nutrition Summit offers a deep dive into disruptive technologies and solutions that have the potential to reshape the industry. Delegates will hear from presenters such as Floor Buitelaar, Managing Partner at Bright Green Partners; Mario Ubiali, Founder & CEO of Thimus; and Christine Gould, Founder & CEO of Thought For Food. Free-to-attend content will be offered at the Innovation Hub and Sustainability Hub.
The growing importance of sustainability as an industry challenge will be reflected in the event highlighting issues such as sustainable sourcing, labels and transparency, regulatory compliance, ESG, gender equity, and more. As part of its ongoing commitment to sustainability, Informa has recently partnered with the international civil society organisation Solidaridad. Through the Sustainability Hub, visitors can find out how Solidaridad’s work in creating sustainable supply chains globally can help with ethical and sustainable ingredient sourcing.
In addition to the numerous informal and impromptu interactions that an industry gathering on this scale provides, there will be several organised networking opportunities. Data-driven matchmaking offers a scientific approach to making connections, and female professionals can look forward to inspiring others and being inspired at the popular Women’s Networking Breakfast.
As well as encouraging diversity in all forms, Fi Europe champions innovation and excellence through its award programmes. The Fi Innovation Awards celebrate individuals and businesses breaking new ground and making a difference in the industry. They culminate in an evening awards ceremony held on Tuesday, 28 November. The Startup Innovation Challenge offers a springboard for young companies with disruptive potential. Attendees can watch these startups pitch their concepts to a panel of investors, accelerators and influential industry players at the Innovation Hub on 28 November.
MycoTechnology, a trailblazer in the field of mushroom research and ingredient innovation, has announced the landmark discovery of a natural sweet protein derived from honey truffle.
This first-of-its-kind discovery paves the way for the launch of honey truffle sweetener, a potentially game-changing alternative to sugar and artificial sweeteners that could reduce global sugar consumption and build towards a healthier future.
This breakthrough is the culmination of MycoTechnology’s extensive efforts to investigate the highly sought-after truffle and uncover the source of its sweet taste. The honey truffle has been consumed for centuries and valued for its uniquely delicious properties. In identifying and isolating the sweet protein, MycoTechnology continues to leverage its advanced technology to harness the versatility of fungi and address new food system challenges.
“Our honey truffle sweetener is derived from a protein, which brings an unprecedented level of excitement as proteins are widely recognised as the future of sweeteners,” said Alan Hahn, CEO of MycoTechnology. “This breakthrough ushers in a new era of clean label sweeteners, revolutionising the way we create foods and beverages without relying on traditional sugar or artificial sweeteners.”
A significant development in the sweetener sector, the news is already sparking enthusiasm, with several commercial partners expressing their interest in new collaborations. MycoTechnology is developing a proprietary platform designed to scale production, minimise manufacturing costs, and optimise yield. The result is a clean, intense natural sweetness with an expected cost-in-use competitive with sugar, and absence of aftertaste.
The climate impact of food is important to Europeans. Three out of five consumers consider climate impact when buying food according to a new survey by Yara.
Yara International announced the findings in a new European survey on sustainable food conducted by leading international market research company IPSOS on behalf of Yara. The report provides an overview of consumer purchasing habits and sustainable food preferences.
“The report shows that Europeans are highly motivated to buy sustainable food to reduce their climate impact. This should be a wake-up call to the entire food industry,” says Birgitte Holter, VP of Green Fertilisers at Yara. “While three out of five Europeans find the climate impact important when buying food, a majority feel it is not easy enough to understand available information about the climate emission to be able to make sustainable choices. More than three out of four consumers would prefer to be able to read the carbon footprint on the food item,” Holter says.
The world’s food production accounts for more than a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions. This new report shows that 58 % of Europeans consider the climate impact important when buying food and beverages. In addition, 51 % of Europeans are willing to pay more for fossil free food items, meaning food produced without fossil sources. However, most people feel that it is not easy to know which food is climate friendly, as 76 % of Europeans would like the carbon footprint to be visible on the food label.
“Decarbonisation of food is possible and that is why we are developing green fertilisers made from water and air using renewable energy, to support farmers and food companies in reducing their climate impact of their food. These voluntary choices must be supported by adequate policies. The EU’s Sustainable Food System initiative, planned for the end of 2023, should therefore create a set of incentives for food systems’ actors to go beyond the minimum requirements and favor low-carbon footprint solutions such as green fertilisers,” says Holter.
In Porsgrunn, Norway, Yara is building the first production plant to run on renewable energy. From here, Yara will produce green fertilisers made without the use of fossil energy or fossil sources. This will result in crops with an up to 30 % lower carbon footprint and up to 20 % carbon footprint reduction in the food produced, making them a powerful solution to grow a decarbonised and fossil free food future. The first green fertilisers are planned to enter production in the second half of 2023.
The market demand for food made without fossil energy sources is high. More than half of Europeans (51 %) said they are willing to pay more for climate friendly food. A clear majority of Europeans (74 %) say food companies need to work to reduce the emissions from their food production.
Key findings in this survey:
58 % of Europeans consider the climate impact important when buying food and beverage items
69 % of Europeans would choose a climate friendlier food item versus a cheaper option. (26 % would choose a fossil free food item, 43 % would choose a low-carbon item)
51 % of Europeans say they are willing to pay more for food made without fossil fuel sources
31 % of Europeans already make sustainable choices when it comes to their buying habits
More than three out of four (76 %) Europeans want to see the carbon footprint of food items on the label
Nearly three out of four Europeans (74 %) believe food companies should work to reduce emissions in their food production
About the survey The survey on the need for sustainable food was commissioned by Yara International and conducted by IPSOS. The panel consisted of 12,000 consumer respondents in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Poland, Romania, Turkey, Norway, Sweden and Denmark (1,000 respondents in each country). The data was collected from online interviews during the period of December 1 – 14, 2022.
The leading global trade fair for food and beverages taps into the extensive know-how of Europe’s leading initiative for food innovations
EIT Food, the world’s largest and most dynamic initiative for food innovations is the new partner of Anuga. In line with the key theme of Anuga, “Sustainable Growth”, the aim of the long-term, strategic partnership is to promote the dialogue and the interdisciplinary cooperation to achieve a sustainable food system. Together the leading global trade fair for food and beverages and EIT Food will create a platform for innovative ideas and new sustainable developments in the food industry. To this end, they are bringing the most important players from the industry and fields of politics and business together at Anuga in Cologne from 7 to 11 October 2023.
“We are delighted to have the experts of EIT Food and its network on board in the scope of this new, strategic partnership. New ways towards an improved, global food system will be highlighted in the course of different event formats and subsequently there will be an opportunity to engage in a direct exchange with an international trade audience and the trade media,” explained Bastian Mingers, Vice President Food.
Dr. Andy Zynga, CEO of EIT Food, adds: “EIT Food is very pleased to work more closely with Anuga, in addition to the partnership with Anuga HORIZON. The goal of the food community is clear: only together will we build an innovative and resilient food system, which is integral in driving greater food security and a healthier planet. This requires new ideas, solutions and collaboration within the industry, for which Anuga offers a fantastic opportunity.”
The key contents of the partnership are among others:
a professional exchange and knowledge transfer
the joint development of the conference and event programme of Anuga with panel discussions, workshops and speakers
joint press events in the run-up to and during Anuga
Lotus Beverage Alliance offers highly customised beverage manufacturing products to promote growth in the craft beverage industry
Lotus Beverage Alliance, a collective of experienced craft beverage equipment manufacturing companies, announced that it has officially launched as a company. Six leading American craft beverage equipment suppliers have merged in a USD 100 million deal to create Lotus Beverage Alliance. The combined capabilities of Lotus Beverage Alliance will enable beverage manufacturers of all sizes to access the most comprehensive array of products spanning every step of production for craft beer, wine, hard cider, spirits, cold brew coffee, ready-to-drink cocktails, kombucha, CBD/THC-infused drinks, and sake beverages.
The six merged companies, Alpha Brewing Operations, GW Kent, Twin Monkeys, Stout Tanks and Kettles, Brewmation, and Automated Extractions, are leaders in craft beverage equipment manufacturing and offer essential infrastructure and technology for diversifying the craft beverage industry. The five founders of the six companies will remain in senior leadership positions at Lotus: Matt Rennerfeldt, John Watt, Kevin Weaver, Josh Van Riper, and Randy Reichwage. John Ansbro, an industry veteran with more than 30 years of experience in equipment manufacturing, has been named Chief Executive Officer for Lotus. Ansbro has held senior executive positions at Alfa Laval, Johnson Controls, and the GEA Group.
“Lotus has everything craft beverage creators need to produce the amazing artisanal products they love, for people who love them,” said John Ansbro, CEO of Lotus Beverage Alliance. “Our team’s proven industry experience includes a deep bench of experts helping to optimise the production of handcrafted beverages for consumers to enjoy.”
Lotus Beverage Alliance brings these leading equipment makers under one roof to become the only end-to-end provider dedicated to crafting possibilities for beverage makers, from nationally-distributed beverage purveyors to the everyday craft enthusiast. Lotus Beverage Alliance produces 1,500+ top-shelf products, including turn-key brewhouse production equipment, 304 stainless steel conical fermenters, brew kettles, IBC totes, multi-capacity tanks, mash tuns, brite tanks, canning systems, automation and control systems, packaging, thermal processes and sanitation equipment, raw ingredient supply, parts, and more.
In another industry first, Lotus introduced a proprietary financing program that offers customers affordable financing options, removing cost barriers for startups and smaller beverage producers. Credit approvals typically take less than 24 hours to provide clients with maximum flexibility.
“What a bold vision to pull together such well-respected leaders of each of their respective craft beverage supplier channel segments. The result of this merger for craft beverage makers is sure to be exponential growth and continued beverage innovation,” said Banjo Bandolas, Director of Advertising and Sales at ProBrewer.com. “Lotus appears to be a first-mover by creating a one-stop-shop for craft brewers and companies moving into ‘beyond beer’ products. I look forward to seeing where it evolves.”
Beverage makers who select Lotus Beverage Alliance as their trusted equipment partner can expect:
Responsive and expert customer service
A one-stop-shop supply chain for all production needs
Ready-to-ship production parts and equipment
High-performance equipment with extended life cycles
Seamless equipment integration with several third-party brands
Opportunities for reduced operating costs and downtime through automation
Greater uptimes and efficiencies in production processes
Post-purchase technical and operations support
Proprietary purchase financing program with typical approval in 24 hours
Lotus Beverage Alliance offers extensive support for startups and scale-ups, including:
Brewing and Distilling
Quick Ship Equipment and Parts
Packaging
Automation and Controls
Extraction Processing
Beverage Production Support
Following the six-way merger, the Lotus Beverage Alliance ownership structure includes the founders from all six businesses. Additionally, Lotus has implemented an employee ownership program, at no cost to the employees. Employee ownership has been extended to every single employee throughout the organisation. Research has shown that broad-based employee ownership programs improve worker retention, reduce income disparity, and result in higher margins, as well as improved growth and operating efficiencies across various aspects of a business. Lotus collaborated with Ownership Works in this employee ownership program’s creation. The Lotus merger was facilitated by Ronin Equity Partners, a New York-based investment firm with a long-term growth focus. Ronin is also an investor in Lotus.
About Lotus Beverage Alliance: Lotus Beverage Alliance is a collective group of experienced companies with extensive knowledge and professional insight into the craft beverage industry. The organisation was formed to bring excitement and resources to craft brewing companies by providing an advanced and comprehensive product line, knowledgeable technical guidance, immediate equipment and parts availability, and an excellent customer service team.
The climate impact of food is important to Europeans. Three out of five consumers consider climate impact when buying food according to a new survey by Yara.
Yara International announced the findings in a new European survey on sustainable food conducted by leading international market research company IPSOS on behalf of Yara. The report provides an overview of consumer purchasing habits and sustainable food preferences.
“The report shows that Europeans are highly motivated to buy sustainable food to reduce their climate impact. This should be a wake-up call to the entire food industry,” says Birgitte Holter, VP of Green Fertilisers at Yara. “While three out of five Europeans find the climate impact important when buying food, a majority feel it is not easy enough to understand available information about the climate emission to be able to make sustainable choices. More than three out of four consumers would prefer to be able to read the carbon footprint on the food item,” Holter says.
The world’s food production accounts for more than a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions. This new report shows that 58 % of Europeans consider the climate impact important when buying food and beverages. In addition, 51 % of Europeans are willing to pay more for fossil free food items, meaning food produced without fossil sources. However, most people feel that it is not easy to know which food is climate friendly, as 76 % of Europeans would like the carbon footprint to be visible on the food label.
“Decarbonisation of food is possible and that is why we are developing green fertilisers made from water and air using renewable energy, to support farmers and food companies in reducing their climate impact of their food. These voluntary choices must be supported by adequate policies. The EU’s Sustainable Food System initiative, planned for the end of 2023, should therefore create a set of incentives for food systems’ actors to go beyond the minimum requirements and favor low-carbon footprint solutions such as green fertilisers,” says Holter.
In Porsgrunn, Norway, Yara is building the first production plant to run on renewable energy. From here, Yara will produce green fertilisers made without the use of fossil energy or fossil sources. This will result in crops with an up to 30 % lower carbon footprint and up to 20 % carbon footprint reduction in the food produced, making them a powerful solution to grow a decarbonised and fossil free food future. The first green fertilisers are planned to enter production in the second half of 2023.
The market demand for food made without fossil energy sources is high. More than half of Europeans (51 %) said they are willing to pay more for climate friendly food. A clear majority of Europeans (74 %) say food companies need to work to reduce the emissions from their food production.
Key findings in this survey:
58 % of Europeans consider the climate impact important when buying food and beverage items
69 % of Europeans would choose a climate friendlier food item versus a cheaper option. (26 % would choose a fossil free food item, 43 % would choose a low-carbon item)
51 % of Europeans say they are willing to pay more for food made without fossil fuel sources
31 % of Europeans already make sustainable choices when it comes to their buying habits
More than three out of four (76 %) Europeans want to see the carbon footprint of food items on the label
Nearly three out of four Europeans (74 %) believe food companies should work to reduce emissions in their food production
About the survey The survey on the need for sustainable food was commissioned by Yara International and conducted by IPSOS. The panel consisted of 12,000 consumer respondents in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Poland, Romania, Turkey, Norway, Sweden and Denmark (1,000 respondents in each country). The data was collected from online interviews during the period of December 1 – 14, 2022.
Mintel, the experts in what consumers want and why, has announced Global Packaging Trends for 2023, featuring a PESTEL analysis* that explores the macro-environmental factors impacting the packaging industry in 2023 and beyond.
David Luttenberger, CPPL, Global Packaging Director at Mintel, examined the political, economic, social, technological, environmental, and legal factors impacting global packaging evaluations, planning, and decision-making: “The decision to use a PESTEL analysis was based on the fact that currently there are so many extraordinary outside influences on package innovation and the packaging supply chain. Pressures from the environmental perspective, the conflict in Ukraine, global inflation, social issues, legal challenges, extended producer responsibility, and other forces mean packaging must navigate new and more challenging routes to market. The PESTEL format enables us to succinctly identify the opportunities and present clear recommendations to retailers, brand owners, and package manufacturers.”
Economic factors impacting packaging
“Economic uncertainty and the associated rising cost of goods have forced consumers to rethink budgets and discretionary spending. Across categories, brands are tapping messaging, technology, and retail strategies to show consumers how packaging can stretch a budget.
“Consumers will look to brands to help them overcome economic-induced stresses with products and packaging that mesh with purchasing abilities and reflect value without compromise. Offering packaging that represents financial value propositions, while not compromising quality, convenience, freshness, safety, and environmental responsibility, will be a differentiator in 2023 and beyond.”
Social factors impacting packaging
“From food shortages and ethical sourcing to responsible water and land use, consumers want to know more about the products they buy and the brands that produce them. In addition to achievements, brands and package manufacturers must be transparent about their weaknesses. Consumers are pursuing transparency through clearer labeling and what those claims mean for the greater good.
“In the future, packaging will paint a picture of a brand’s equity, which increasingly includes social and environmental capital. Consumers want to hear what companies have to say on controversial topics related to diversity, inclusion, and equity.”
Legal factors impacting packaging
“A myriad of laws have been enacted to protect consumers from deceptive or fraudulent business practices. New rules around the use of plastics and pollution-causing materials, as well as protecting human and planetary health, will greatly affect consumers. To get ahead and stay competitive, companies must get a firm grip on current and future legislation around plastics, PFAS, and EPR.”
“Consumers will rally behind legislation that benefits the environment. Their support will spur additional bans which will put significant cost pressures on manufacturers in their quest to meet mandates and find suitable, though more costly, alternatives.”
Packaging perspective of Mintel’s 2023 Global Trends
also discusses the packaging industry implications of the 2023 Global Food and Drink, Beauty and Personal Care, and Household Care Trends, including the future of packaging within these industries.
“The macro factors impacting packaging are universal across all end-use categories, including what my colleagues outline in Mintel’s 2023 Global Food and Drink, Beauty and Personal Care, and Household Care Trends. How the challenges manifest within each category varies, but the data, insights, and expert recommendations are applicable and actionable across all end-use categories, package formats, and regional markets,” continued Luttenberger.
Food and drink packaging trends
“Although costs of living are rising globally, consumers will not be motivated solely by low prices in 2023. They will find value in affordable food and drink that promises clarity, nutrition, and versatility. Package manufacturers must enable clear communication of added-value nutritional content and provide efficient portioning and product preparation. Clean packaging designs that highlight natural ingredients and health benefits will stand out to shoppers. In the future, brands seeking to be trusted partners in the kitchen need to take energy consumption into account and deliver packaging that enables energy-efficient cooking.”
Beauty and personal care packaging trends
“Post-pandemic consumers are seeking experimentation, social responsibility, and value from brands in-store and online. Package manufacturers must deliver physical, emotional, visual, digital, and environmental attributes that mesh with consumers’ changing lifestyles. Packaging remains not only a constant but an integral part of the beauty consumer experience—whether through new eco-responsible structures and materials, 100 % product evacuation dispensing systems, messaging about eco-attributes, or messaging about a brand’s values. Companies must create strategies that embrace next-generation package technologies to connect with consumers at retail, at home, and in any/all channels they prefer.”
Household care packaging trends
“The inward focus on one’s self and the planet has become intertwined with saving money in the household care space. That triad of forces has created new opportunities that will redefine the definitions of responsibility and value. Companies must invest in innovations that optimise such parameters as cube efficiency, weight reduction, materials management, extended shelf-life, and end-of-life or second-life scenarios. The key to delivering the next generation of household care packaging will be simple design, convenient dispensing, and an overt display of environmental and social responsibility.”
*A PESTEL analysis is a framework used to analyse and monitor the macro-environmental factors that have an impact on an organisation, company, or industry examining the Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental and Legal factors impacting global packaging evaluations, planning and decision-making.
GNT has published externally verified data showing it reduced the average carbon footprint of its plant-based EXBERRY® Colouring Foods by 19 % in the first year of its sustainability plan. The company becomes the first colouring foods supplier to issue a Greenhouse Gas Verification Statement as it aims to become the leader in its field on sustainability.
The statement details GNT’s carbon footprint from 2019 to 2021. The auditor SGS verified the emissions data according to the internationally recognised ISO14064 standard, which includes emissions from carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide across six different reporting categories. As a result, the company can now provide comprehensive, benchmarked information on EXBERRY® Colouring Foods’ organisational footprint to customers.
In 2022, GNT announced that it plans to achieve a total of 17 sustainability targets over the course of the decade. These include cutting the environmental footprint for EXBERRY® product ranges by 25 % between 2020 and 2030 as well as reducing its factories’ CO2-equivalent emissions by at least 50 %. The new figures show the company is making significant progress toward those aims. Production volumes saw a double-digit increase between 2020 and 2021, but GNT’s overall carbon footprint remained flat. This meant the average footprint per kilogram of EXBERRY® Colouring Foods decreased by nearly a fifth over the course of the year.
Rutger de Kort, Sustainability Manager at GNT Group, said: “We’re committed to setting new standards on sustainability and the Greenhouse Gas Verification Statement highlights the work we’ve done so far. This external verification for our emissions data enables us to build trust and communicate our efforts in a truly transparent manner.”
The Greenhouse Gas Verification Statement shows GNT’s total carbon footprint dropped by 3,427 metric tons to 38,656 between 2019 and 2021. This is largely due to the use of green electricity at its production sites, which represents an important step in its efforts to reduce CO2-equivalent emissions at its factories by 50 %. The biggest contributors to GNT’s carbon footprint are direct emissions from natural gas and indirect emissions related to the purchase of heat and steam. Emissions related to purchased goods – such as raw materials, ingredients, and packaging – and waste streams are also important factors.
Rutger de Kort added: “The move to green electricity has delivered major improvements, but we need to go further to achieve our goals. Our main focus now is trying to end our reliance on gas to generate heat and steam. We’re already working on ways to electrify the process, including the use of industrial heat pumps and other new technologies, such as filtration. We’re also using the new data to identify further possibilities to cut our carbon footprint in areas including transportation and purchased goods.”
Suitable for almost any food and drink application, EXBERRY® Colouring Foods are made from non-GMO fruits, vegetables, and plants using physical processing methods. The crops are grown by farmers working as part of GNT’s vertical supply chain using sustainable methods.
The European Commission has granted Novel Food status to pea and rice protein fermented by shiitake mushroom mycelia, trade named FermentIQä PTP and TXP, MycoTechnology’s innovative and highly functional natural plant protein ingredients. FermentIQä ingredients are produced using a patented mycelial fermentation platform that improves the sensory, functional, and nutritional attributes of plant protein. The authorisation follows a positive opinion issued earlier this year by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), which said it considered the product to be safe for use in a wide range of food and beverage categories.
With Novel Food authorisation secured, USA-based MycoTechnology is set to accelerate its expansion into Europe, the company’s next major growth frontier. It has hired its first European sales representatives, based in Germany and the Netherlands, and has recently announced a partnership with Brenntag for distribution in the region. The company’s European expansion will be underpinned by its recent Series E fundraise, which generated USD 85 million to fuel growth and proliferation of its technology to address the global need for healthier, more delicious food.
Welcoming the news, Alan Hahn, MycoTechnology CEO, commented: “Authorisation means we can now offer food and beverage manufacturers access to our cutting-edge plant protein in Europe for the first time. FermentIQä is a transformative, game-changing plant protein with multiple application and nutritional advantages over other plant protein ingredients. It enables brands to overcome the technical and taste barriers associated with other plant proteins, providing consumers with a compelling reason to switch.”
The addition of sales and distribution capabilities in Europe means that MycoTechnology’s product portfolio – comprising FermentIQä plant proteins and ClearIQä flavour clarifiers – is now available globally, with sales networks already in place in North America, Latin America, and Asia.
Alan Hahn added: “Harnessing the power of mushroom mycelia to produce high quality plant protein is perfectly aligned with both consumer expectations and the EU’s commitment to sustainability and food security. It’s little surprise, then, that we are already in conversations with leading food industry players in Europe to formulate and commercialise products containing FermentIQä plant protein.”
FermentIQä is a pea and rice protein blend fermented by mushroom mycelia to deliver superior performance and nutrition. MycoTechnology’s proprietary process deodorises and de-flavours the protein, so that it offers a more neutral solution with superior functionality in a range of applications. FermentIQä is available in both powdered and texturised formats. The core powdered offering (PTP) delivers improved nutrition, taste and mouthfeel profiles that make it ideal for protein beverages and dairy alternatives, and the texturised offering (TXP) provides a superior springy and juicy texture in meat analogues.
FermentIQä PTP has a Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS) of 1 for individuals aged 3 and older, signifying that its protein content is of the highest nutritional quality. FermentIQä also offers reduced anti-nutrients and improved digestibility, allowing 99.9 % of protein consumed to be digested. A recent study found that MycoTechnology’s fermentation process improves protein quality by more than 20 % for children aged 3+, adolescents, and adults, based on the Digestible Indispensable Amino Acid Score (DIAAS). As a result, FermentIQä protein ingredients offer a nutritional value competitive with animal and soy proteins.
Oterra, one of the the world’s leading suppliers of natural colours with one of the widest portfolios in the industry announced the addition of Vera Karmebäck to the team as its first Global Sustainability Lead.
Karmebäck enhances the international profile of the company, having been named a UN Global Compact SDG Pioneer in 2022. Vera, recognised for her strong work in having ‘demonstrated extraordinary progress and commitment towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals’, comes from RA International – a remote site service provider.
Sustainability is a key focus area for Oterra in 2023, as the company looks to step out of the shadows of its previous parent company Chr. Hansen, and strongly solidify its own world contributions. For Oterra CEO, Odd Erik Hansen, the company’s mission of ‘making food and beverage easy for a healthy and sustainable world’ resonates with industry aspirations.
“Our employees and customers expect us to be the industry leader when it comes to sustainability – and as a natural colours company that believes nature got it right – it makes perfect sense that we lead the colour industry in finding the best ways to adopt sustainable practices for the future,” said Hansen.
Oterra is a key supplier of natural colours to most of the world’s largest food and beverage manufacturers.
Today, WHO released its first-ever global tax manual for sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs). Currently, at least 85 countries implement some type of SBB taxation.
The WHO manual highlights the experiences of countries who have successfully implemented the tax, including Mexico, South Africa, and the United Kingdom.
“Taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages can be a powerful tool to promote health because they save lives and prevent disease, while advancing health equity and mobilising revenue for countries that could be used to realize universal health coverage,” said Dr Ruediger Krech, Director of Health Promotion at WHO.
SSB, tobacco, and alcohol taxes have proven to be cost-effective ways of preventing diseases, injuries, and premature mortality. SSB tax can also encourage companies to reformulate their products to reduce sugar content.
Regular consumption of SSBs, including soft drinks, flavoured milks, energy drinks, vitamin waters, fruit juices and sweetened iced teas, is associated with an increased risk of dental cavities, type 2 diabetes, weight gain and obesity in both children and adults, heart disease, stroke and cancer.
Evidence shows that implementing taxes on SSBs increases product prices and reduces demand, resulting in less purchases. A one time global SSB tax increase that raised prices 50 % could generate additional revenues of US$1.4 trillion over 50 years.1
A recent Gallup Poll also found that a majority of people across the United States, Tanzania, Jordan, India, and Colombia supported taxes on SSBs, alcohol and tobacco.2
WHO calls on countries to introduce or increase existing SSB taxes to raise the prices of these products, lessen demand, and reduce consumption. The manual is a reference guide that provides key considerations and strategies for countries to develop, design, and implement SSB taxes.
The global market for CBD drinks accounted for USD 5527.13 Million in 2022. The market is anticipated to cross a valuation of USD 62748.24 Million by 2032. The market is expected to grow with a CAGR of 27.5 % in the forecast period.
CBD beverages have gained popularity as cannabis products were legalised by the Farm bill (Agricultural Improvement Act) in the US in 2014. The rising awareness of the health benefits of CBD products has elevated the growth of the CBD beverages market globally. Cannabidiol is a non-psychoactive molecule found in cannabis, which is extracted from leaves, resin, and flowers of marijuana or hemp.
There is rising awareness about the health benefits of adding cannabis-infused drinks to the diet are impelling factors of growth in the market. These cannabis drinks made their earlier appearance in the industry in commodities such as brownies and gummy bears which are often treated as unhealthy options. The drinks have become the most preferred way for consuming THC is likely to heighten the growth of CBD drinks arcade.
What are the drivers of the CBD beverage market?
“Rising awareness of the health benefits of CBD beverages”
CBD beverages are considered a natural remedy for a variety of health conditions. CBD-infused beverages are believed to treat varieties of health conditions including pain, anxiety, central nervous system disease, epilepsy, and many more.
Rising awareness of consumers on the wellness of the products and a growing number of health-conscious consumers is driving the growth of the CBD beverage market. Also, consumers’ preference for natural products over pharmaceutical products will also boost the CBD beverage market. Moreover, potential customers of BVD beverages are more willing to spend on legal CBD products, especially by baby boomers.
Competitive Landscape
The industry players are focused on the growth of the business by investing heavily in product research. These players are tapping into dynamic and competitive market structures likely to propel them in future years. This market is showing extensive opportunities for new companies.
Mergers and partnerships are opted for by many companies to excel and maintain market position in the forecast period. In 2020, BevCanna and Mota Ventures have announced a joint venture which likely to open novel distribution ways for both firms. The partnership is expected to bring benefits for each other out of the partners’ expertise.
GNT gains regulatory approval for spirulina extract
GNT has secured U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for the use of spirulina extract in beverages, enabling manufacturers to achieve vibrant blue shades while maintaining clean labels.
GNT, which supplies plant-based EXBERRY® colour concentrates, has developed a patented formulation technology that allows spirulina extract to remain temperature- and acid-stabilised in beverages.
The EXBERRY® Blue Beverage Solution is suitable for use in a wide range of applications including sports, energy, and carbonated drinks, juice drinks, enhanced waters, and alcoholic beverages below 20 % ABV.
The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) had previously only permitted the use of spirulina extract as a natural blue colouring ingredient in certain food products and powdered beverages. However, GNT has now successfully petitioned the FDA to amend the regulation to cover all non-alcoholic beverages as well as alcoholic beverages below 20 % ABV. The update came into effect on December 13, 2022.
This means the EXBERRY® Blue Beverage Solution can be used as a clean-label replacement for Blue 1 in the vast majority of drink applications. It delivers a bright turquoise blue shade in acidified beverages with a pH range between 2.6 to 3.4 and can be combined with other EXBERRY® concentrates to deliver hues including navy blue, violet, and green.
Consumer interest in spirulina has increased exponentially over the past decade in step with the FDA’s approval of natural blue colors derived from spirulina extract for products including yogurt, ice cream, and confectionery.
Refresco Group B.V., the global independent beverage solutions provider for Global, National and Emerging (GNE) brands and retailers in Europe and North America, announced it has completed the acquisition of Tru Blu Beverages, a manufacturer of non-alcoholic beverages in Australia, following the receipt of regulatory approval.
Refresco entered into an agreement to acquire Tru Blu Beverages on October 14, 2022. With the acquisition now completed, Refresco expands its global presence, adding a third continent as a new platform for growth. The acquisition includes three production facilities, in Sydney, Brisbane and Perth. These will be added to the current Refresco network of over 70 manufacturing facilities across Europe and North America. With this expansion, Refresco further strengthens their position as global independent beverage solutions provider to branded customers and leading retailers. In addition, Refresco moves one step closer to fulfilling its ambition of “Our Drinks On Every Table”.
The integration process will commence immediately, with Tru Blu Beverages to be rebranded as Refresco.
Arla Foods Ingredients has developed a solution that allows the creation of fermented drinks that are both clear and high in protein – a new innovation in the healthy beverage space.
As demonstrated by the continuing popularity of kombucha, drinking yoghurts and clear protein drinks, there is high demand for novel ready-to-drink products. Recent innovations include fermented protein beverages, which offer synergistic health benefits because protein supports the growth and viability of probiotics.
The new solution, which is based on 100 % whey-based hydrolysates Lacprodan®HYDRO.365 and Nutrilac® FO-8571, opens up new ways to give fermented protein beverages a twist. Because it significantly minimizes cloudiness and sedimentation, it can be used to create high-protein fermented beverages that are just as clear as alternatives without protein.
Manufacturers can use it with thermophilic cultures for fermented drinks, or mesophilic cultures for kombucha-style beverages, both of which are high in probiotics – meeting a key consumer need – and lactose-free. They can also be produced on a standard yoghurt processing line.
Barbara Jensen, Sales Development Manager at Arla Foods Ingredients, said: “The market for healthy beverages is incredibly dynamic, with categories like kombucha enjoying phenomenal success. Our goal is always to help our customers lead innovation and now we’re giving them opportunities to offer consumers a new twist on fermented protein beverages – a category that’s already very exciting. With this new solution they can create on-trend beverages that are not only high in both protein and probiotics, but also stand out from the pack because of their clear, refreshing appearance.”
Ideal for adaptogen supplement solutions and natural preservatives in food and beverages.
Conagen announced the commercialisation of its 99 % high-purity salidroside made by bioconversion technology, an active ingredient from the herbal plant Rhodiola rosea (golden root). Its strong antioxidant properties as an adaptogen are associated with reducing inflammation, protecting against oxidative stress in cells, and providing relief from depression, fatigue, and stress. Salidroside has also been used to alleviate high altitude sickness.
Unlike other salidroside products currently on the market, Conagen’s salidroside is non-GMO. Conagen leveraged its industry-leading bioconversion technology to produce clean, sustainable salidroside, identical to the compound naturally found in the Rhodiola rosea plant – the same technology used to produce non-GMO Rebaudioside M, other steviol glycosides, and bitter blockers for sugar reduction solutions which are available from their pipeline partner, Sweegen.
Conagen’s 99 % high-purity salidroside, made by bioconversion, is ideal for non-GMO supplement solutions to formulate products with a sustainable and natural consumer appeal. It is readily soluble in water and is very formulable in food and beverage applications.
“We’re reimagining the way in which rare ingredients are sourced to make them safer and higher-quality for use in health-promoting products,” said Casey Lippmeier, Ph.D., senior vice president of innovation at Conagen. “Our bioconversion technology enables us to deliver non-GMO products. Through this technology, we’re unlocking salidroside’s great potential as a powerful active health ingredient and as a tool for food and beverage producers to adopt a more natural way to preserve food and beverages.”
Food and beverage producers benefit from Conagen’s salidroside as it also possesses antimicrobial properties, making it useful as a natural preservative solution for brands seeking alternatives to artificial preservatives. Salidroside expands Conagen’s portfolio of natural preservatives, such as Taxifolin BC-DHQ® and Rosavel™ rosmarinic acid, currently available from another pipeline partner, Blue California.
Stress reduction is popular among consumers, typically addressed by exercise or indulgence in food and beverages. More consumers are taking a holistic approach to their health, including their mental well-being and sleep. They are exploring adaptogens as one of the additional positive ways to add an edge to their diets and lifestyles.
“Salidroside is one of the rare, natural molecules with proven adaptogenic activities which correlates to stress reduction,” said Lippmeier. “Initially identified in botanical extracts, adaptogens are promising new options in the quest to relieve the stress of our daily lives. This trend opens new opportunities for supplement brands and food and beverage manufacturers to adopt a health-focused profile for their products.”
Conagen accelerated salidroside production by leveraging one of its proprietary molecular platforms, which have also been used to produce the clean antioxidants hydroxytyrosol and p-coumaric acid. Salidroside is a glucoside of tyrosol. Conagen’s antimicrobial and antioxidant compounds, hydroxytyrosol and p-coumaric acid are also now available through Blue California.
The inputs of fermentation are tightly controlled, dramatically reducing the chance of contamination with heavy metals, fungal toxins, and other unsafe materials that may be found in traditional medicine preparations. Rhodiola rosea extract is most commonly used in Europe and Asia. Its medicinal use for reducing stress and depression can be traced back to the Ming Dynasty in the classic medicinal scripture Compendium of Materia Medica.
Nagardo, a new natural preservative from LANXESS, is now approved for use in non-alcoholic beverages in the European Union as well. “EU approval allows us to continue expanding the global footprint of Nagardo. The preservative is already in use in the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, and Canada,” said Monika Ebener, Global Marketing Director for Natural Antimicrobials at LANXESS. “We’re going to be launching in other markets as well. We are now proud to present our natural guardian in our home market, too.”
EU approval is regarded as the gold standard due to its thorough evaluation process. “This registration means that European beverage producers can now make use of a long-awaited natural preservative that not only reliably and efficiently safeguards product quality but also enables manufacturers to transform their product ranges to suit the emerging trend of consumer awareness and demand for natural ingredients. The use of Nagardo can also help companies to achieve their sustainability targets, partly by reducing the amount of plastic needed for packaging and partly because switching from hot filling or tunnel pasteurization to cold filling with Nagardo cuts energy usage.
Nagardo is used in various beverage categories, which means that a wide-ranging market can depend on the protection offered by this natural preservative.
Nagardo is based on glycolipids obtained from edible mushrooms, which were discovered in a comprehensive screening process encompassing more than 100,000 natural substances. It transpired
that they offer the kind of effectiveness that can be found only in nature – all that is needed is a dosage as much as 50 times smaller than is the case with commonly used synthetic preservatives. It is currently the most effective natural preservative for non-alcoholic beverages on the market.
Nagardo will be launched officially in Europe for the first time at this year’s drinktec, a trade show that will be taking place in Munich from September 12 to 16.
Celerant Capital, a specialised private equity sponsor, announced the acquisition of Krier Foods, a fifth-generation family-owned beverage company.
Founded in 1908, Krier is a premier manufacturer of a wide variety of Ready to Drink (RTD) beverages packaged in aluminum cans. Krier has a long history of driving canned beverage innovation through its Jolly Good brand and providing high quality contract manufacturing services for its customers’ portfolio of established and emerging brands. Krier’s production of carbonated sodas dates to the beginnings of the package format in the 1960s. With decades of institutional knowledge and a modern facility, Krier will continue its legacy of quality, service, and enabling its customers’ growth. Krier’s dedicated team and culture of excellence will continue to be the foundation of the Company’s success.
Krier announced the appointment of John Kowalchik, formerly CEO of Baxters North America and a veteran co-manufacturing leader, as its new CEO. Former CEO, John Rassel, who will continue as an advisor to the Company, will transition out of the day-to-day leadership of the Company to pursue charitable and community opportunities in Southeast Wisconsin. The senior leadership team of Krier will continue to lead it from its headquarters in Random Lake, WI (US).
Celerant Capital is a specialised private equity sponsor led by food manufacturing industry veterans that focuses exclusively on investing in food, beverage and enabling technologies. With highly-experienced senior industry professionals, Celerant focuses on acquiring businesses with competitive advantages and significant opportunities for value creation.
Nano Shot is launching their collection of CBD-infused beverages made with real fruit juice, no artificial flavours, zero calories/sugars and no THC. The product line, with its proprietary Nano emulsification technology, allows adult consumers to experience a near instant calm and relaxing sensation unlike most of the other options in the marketplace.
With stress, anxiety, and mental health issues on the rise in the post pandemic era, Nano Shot is launching their collection of CBD-infused beverages made with real fruit juice, no artificial flavours, zero calories/sugars and no THC. The product line, with its proprietary Nano emulsification technology, allows adult consumers to experience a near instant calm and relaxing sensation unlike most of the other options in the marketplace. Nano Shot is the contemporary solution for today’s health and wellness conscious consumer seeking real functionality and is currently available on-line (https://nano-shot.com) and in select markets throughout the US.
The collection is available in ready-to-drink 2oz. bottles and includes four flavours: Blueberry-Pomegranate, Pineapple-Coconut, Mango-Hot Chili, and Citrus.
Larry Harmon, Creator and Founder of Nano Shot developed the brand from a very personal space: “My mother was suffering from Parkinson’s disease and I knew that a 100 % natural CBD formulation, if created with a strict focus on the most scientifically advanced nano-emulsification process, could provide a product that assists with enhancing the quality of her daily life. I am very proud of our science and our team and can’t wait to spread the Nano Shot benefit to consumers across the country and the world.”
Naturalness, health, and climate-friendliness play an increasingly significant role in food and beverages. Premium products are also becoming more important. These findings revealed the current version of the Trendscope™ metanalysis, which Symrise conducts regularly. With this trend tool, Symrise provides an overview of current and future developments in food and beverages. The study combines qualitative and quantitative research methods and serves as an important basis for the development of consumer-preferred taste, nutrition, and health solutions.
The Trendscope™ metanalysis provides comprehensive information on trends as well as five dedicated reports for the beverages, culinary, dairy, snacks, and sweet categories. These show items, such as trend manifestations, product examples and emerging flavors and ingredients. “Trendscope™ allows us to continually observe consumer behavior and to examine current trends,” says Leif Jago, Global Marketing Manager Food & Beverages at Symrise. “We consider this very important since consumer wishes for food and beverages change over time.”
Various methods of analysis combined
Trendscope™ relies on a combination of different methods of analysis. The qualitative research contains a metanalysis of consumer reports, start-up screening and social media listening. The quantitative research comprises a metanalysis of existing studies and market reports as well as surveys related to consumer behavior and mindsets. This goes hand in hand with an analysis of global urban hot spots. For this, Symrise conducted twenty-four interviews in twelve locations with selected trendsetters like food bloggers, journalists, and trend scouts.
This combination of analysis makes it possible to precisely decode and validate trends. The tool’s global scope also allows to tailor trends to regional specifics. Based on this, Symrise can develop taste solutions and tailor them to consumer demands in specific categories. This, in turn, helps Symrise customers to respond to these decoded consumer desires with food and beverages.
Twelve consumer trends identified in four clusters
Symrise has identified twelve consumer trends in total, which we can subdivide into four clusters. “Natural Goodness” focuses on consumers who want to make a positive contribution to protecting the environment and the climate with their nutrition. These consumers increasingly value regenerative agriculture and biodiversity. Another cluster relates to “Healthy Lifestyle.” Today, many consumers want to live healthily and to use their nutrition to improve their gut health or immune system. At the same time, they want products that add fun, pleasure, and convenience to healthy eating.
The “Premium Indulgence” cluster represents a third trend. Brands drive it that meet ethical as well as environmental criteria. Personalized offerings are also getting increasingly important. The “Emotional Discoveries” cluster is ultimately concerned with navigating the effects boosted by the pandemic. The coronavirus pandemic has led many people to spend more time at home, and they are looking for ways to elevate this experience. They prefer comforting tastes that provide both a sense of security and taste adventures for their inner child.
“The coronavirus pandemic accelerated the development of trends and strengthened existing consumer wishes,” says Jago. “Trendscope™ allows us to understand the changing demands and to react to them. Using our technological expertise, we can develop the corresponding taste, nutrition, and health solutions for our customers’ products.”
Simply Spiked Lemonade, Molson Coors Beverage Company’s latest collab with The Coca-Cola Company, is set to hit shelves in the U.S. this June.
The flavoured malt beverage segment is growing, up 11 % in dollar sales between 2020 and 2021, according to IRI. Moreover, the lemonade-flavour subsegment is exploding, up 49 % since 2018, with more than USD 254 million in dollar sales, according to IRI.
Known for its real, high-quality juices and variety of flavours, Simply Lemonade is the nation’s best-selling refrigerated lemonade. It is found in half of American households and already is routinely used by consumers to make cocktails. Simply Spiked Lemonade products check in at 5 % alcohol by volume and are made with real fruit juice.
It will launch in variety packs of 12-ounce slim cans featuring four flavours: Signature Lemonade, Strawberry Lemonade, Watermelon Lemonade and Blueberry Lemonade. Select flavours also will be available in stand-alone 24-ounce cans.
Simply Spiked Lemonade is the latest collaboration between Molson Coors and The Coca-Cola Company, which also combined to turn Topo Chico Hard Seltzer into a top-4 hard seltzer in the U.S. market. Topo Chico Hard Seltzer went national earlier this year, and the brand recently launched Topo Chico Ranch Water Hard Seltzer and Topo Chico Margarita Hard Seltzer.
Kombucha brand Aqua ViTea introduces Aqua Seltzers, a better-for-you bubbly beverage packed with probiotics for immune and gut health in the U.S. Like all of Aqua ViTea’s beverages, the new Aqua Seltzers are USDA Organic, GMO-free, gluten-free, vegan, and always low in calories and sugar.
As the leading East Coast manufacturer of Kombucha, Aqua ViTea has made it their mission for more than 15 years to educate and introduce consumers to the many health benefits of Kombucha through supremely unique product innovations. Aqua Seltzer is disrupting the bubbly beverage category with a light body, approachable and inventive taste, and vibrant packaging. Aqua Seltzer comes in four dynamic and refreshing flavours: Grapefruit + Thyme, Raspberry + Lime, Cucumber + Mint, and Pomegranate + Cherry. Each shelf-stable can is packed with five billion live probiotics and powerful antioxidants and enzymes. With only 15 calories and 1 gram of sugar, it’s the perfect healthy and functional seltzer to sip on all summer long.
“As one of the first commercial Kombucha brands, we keep our finger on the pulse of what consumers need from functional beverages while remaining true to our core value that food can be used as medicine,” said Jeff Weaber, Founder of Aqua ViTea. “A crowded market no doubt, Aqua Seltzer shines as a replacement to sugary beverages with beneficial living food properties that can help consumers achieve overall wellness from the inside out.”
Aqua ViTea is authentically crafted with naturally occurring probiotics, blending ancient Kombucha fermentation traditions with modern brewing techniques to produce refreshing beverages that are verified non-alcohol compliant and rich with clean ingredients. To date, Aqua ViTea has composted 26K pounds of tea for local agriculture and 75K pounds of wastewater for renewable energy. Additionally, up to 35 % of the fills at Aqua ViTea’s Kombucha fountains utilize reusable glass.
Also new in April, Aqua ViTea announced distribution expansion with the launch of an e-commerce vertical on its website making it easy for customers in the U.S. to purchase and receive their favourite beverages from the brand.
About Aqua ViTea Founder Jeff Weaber started homebrewing Aqua ViTea from his farmhouse basement in Vermont in 2005. Today, the company employs a team of thirty full-time employees at its Middlebury-based facility and has become the East Coast’s largest Kombucha manufacturer. Aqua ViTea is a sustainably driven Kombucha brand, focused on providing delicious and authentic better-for-you beverages. Aqua ViTea artfully blends ancient brewing traditions with modern techniques to create a healthier drink option, packed with natural probiotics, enzymes, and antioxidants. Each beverage flaunts a label exploding in colours and storytelling that invite you to sip on the refreshing flavours, like Blueberry Social, Elderberry, and Pineapple Lemonade among others, or enjoy one of the special CBD concoctions, like Chaga Chai. Its offerings extend to Aqua Seltzer and the hard kombucha category, dubbed AfterGlow, featuring noteworthy flavours like Ginger & Blueberry, Citrus Rush, Cherry Sour, and Apricot Dream. Aqua ViTea is offered at retailers like Whole Foods and Bristol Farms in the U.S.
Proactive health concerns are at the forefront of purchasing decisions across all generations, according to Kerry, one of the world’s leading taste and nutrition companies.
Kerry research shows that consumers in all age groups are interested in food and beverages with functional benefits – with demand for immune support, joint health and digestive health particularly high.1
The insights are contained in the company’s new eBook, ‘Functional Health Benefits for Every Generation’, which highlights growing proactivity around nutrition and the expansion in markets for products targeting specific life stages and other demographic categories, such as gender.
It explores the needs of three groups in particular:
Millennial parents: Millennials, who are now parents to around half of children in the US, are particularly likely to carry out extensive research ahead of purchases.
Young actives: Focus areas for Generation Z consumers and younger millennials include athletic performance, education and work. They have a holistic approach to wellness and are interested in benefits such as improved sleep.
Older adults: As consumers enter their 40s and 50s their focus shifts, with greater emphasis on physical and cognitive health.
The research also found that demographic factors affect demand for benefits in particular applications. For example, for consumers in the older millennial category and upwards, tea and coffee are popular platforms for immune support.2
John Quilter, Kerry’s VP of ProActive Health, said: “Across all age ranges, consumers are now looking for functional benefits from their favorite food and beverages. However, it’s also true that different groups often have different needs, so an understanding of the importance of demographic factors like age and activity level can help manufacturers create on-trend products. For example, manufacturers should use functional ingredients that are supported by research as well as appealing to children’s tastes to win over millennial parents.”
The eBook also highlights the range of value that Kerry offers its customers through collaborative go-to-market support. This includes proprietary market insights, access to a team of more than 1000 scientists, nutritionists, product formulation experts and marketers around the world. It features case studies where partners have formulated with ingredients from the ProActive Health portfolio to create innovative functional products.
1Kerry Global Consumer Survey, Digestive, Immune and Joint Health, 2021 2Kerry Global Consumer Survey, Digestive, Immune and Joint Health, 2021
Oterra, one of the world’s leading suppliers of natural colours, with one of the widest portfolios in the industry, announced the launch of the industry’s best natural alternative to Red40/Allura Red for beverage – Hansen Sweet Potato FruitMax® Red 116 WS.
In 2019, Oterra, at that time known as Chr. Hansen Natural Colors, launched its Hansen Sweet Potato™ range. The result of nearly a decade of ground-breaking research and development, the range quickly became an award-winning industry favourite, scooping up prizes in three continents: Europe, North America, and South America. The new vegetable variety was an instant hit for its stable, vibrant, and natural red alternative.
Driven by innovation and the desire to provide exceptional solutions for the industry, Oterra’s scientists went back to work after launching the original range to develop the next must-have solution for the beverage market. The result, FruitMax® Red 116 WS, is designed specifically for beverage manufacturers. It addresses the high complexity this industry faces when using anthocyanins, including fortification, high water-activity, carbonisation, off-flavour, and colour stability.
FruitMax® Red 116 WS provides manufacturers with a unique clean label, minimally processed, and GMO-free fire-engine red shade for beverage, making it the industry’s best natural alternative to RED40 or Allura Red.
FruitMax® Red 116 WS is recommended for alcoholic beverages, carbonated soft drinks, cordials, energy drinks, juice-based drinks and near waters.
Strategic, asset-light expansion into functional beverages increases Halo’s addressable market and near-term revenue opportunity
Halo Collective Inc. announced that it is strategically expanding into the functional beverage market with a proposed stock-based acquisition of private company operating as H2C Beverages and the entering into of a distribution and manufacturing agreement with Elegance Brands Inc. Pursuant to the terms of the Distribution Agreement, Elegance has agreed to purchase USD30 million of Halo’s H2C and Hushrooms™ branded products during the 24-month period following the launch of the products and to distribute these products to retail outlets in respective legal states across the United States.
Kiran Sidhu, Halo’s Chief Executive Officer, commented, “Nootropic nutraceuticals is a relatively new health category that we believe is poised for robust growth. Our strategic acquisition of H2C Beverages will bolster Halo’s growth opportunities, even as the recreational cannabis industry faces over-supply issues in our California and Oregon markets. Elegance Brands is the perfect partner to manage and distribute H2C and our functional mushroom brand Hushrooms to mainstream consumers.”
Added Raj Beri, Elegance’s CEO and Founder, “Elegance has successfully established a distribution network with a potential reach to tens of thousands of outlets nationwide that uniquely positions for the significant growth expected in the beverages and functional mushroom markets. We believe that Halo’s innovative line of products will be strong sellers alongside our portfolio of brands all built around innovation, and we are excited to offer them to our expanding distribution customers.”
Acquisition of H2C Beverages
Halo has signed a definitive agreement to acquire 1285826 B.C. Ltd., a company focused on cannabinoids and non-psychotropic mushroom functional beverages. The H2C acquisition is expected to provide Halo with a toehold in one of the fastest growing sectors of the cannabidiol market, estimated to account for USD16 billion in U.S. sales by 2025, according to Brightfield Research1, as well as to directly participate in rising consumer consciousness toward the health benefits of consuming small doses of cannabinoids and functional mushroom extracts paired with adaptogens. H2C’s product portfolio includes a line of premium flavoured waters that are nano emulsified to maximize absorption and other plant-based beverages infused with cannabinoids, functional mushroom extracts with fulvic and humic minerals from the Rocky Mountains.
In consideration for all the issued and outstanding shares of H2C, Halo has agreed to issue 7,538,462 common shares in the capital of Halo. Closing of the H2C Acquisition is subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including, among others, the approval of the Neo Exchange Inc. The Company expects the H2C Acquisition to close in January 2022. Halo has also agreed to issue 603,077 Common Shares to an arm’s length finder in connection with the H2C Acquisition.
Distribution and manufacturing agreement with Elegance Brands
Halo has also expanded its collaborative relationship with Elegance by entering into the Distribution Agreement to propel the national distribution of beverages, capsules, and topical supplements under H2C and Halo’s functional mushroom brand, Hushrooms. This new category of functional supplements, nootropic nutraceuticals, will be marketed under three subcategories: active, relax and focus.
Under the Distribution Agreement, Elegance has agreed to purchase USD30 million of H2C and Hushrooms branded products during the 24-month Launch Period and to distribute these products to retail outlets in respective legal states across the United States. Elegance shall purchase the products at a price of up to 130 % of manufactured costs (including all direct costs, both third party and internal) incurred by the Company. All prices are exclusive of applicable taxes, including without limitation, sales, excise, use and property taxes, which shall be paid by Elegance. The Distribution Agreement is expected to deliver up to USD9 million of profit (before tax) during the 24-month Launch Period.
During the period from the effective date of the Distribution Agreement until the Launch Period, which is expected to last up to six months, Elegance will provide certain consulting services to Halo including with respect to the development of branding, marketing, and manufacturing best practices, product development, and sales strategies through to launch. Pursuant to the Distribution Agreement, Halo has agreed to issue USD2.5 million of Common Shares (the “Elegance Shares”) to Elegance in consideration for the consulting services to be provided by Elegance in connection with the branding, development, manufacturing, and distribution of the H2C and Hushrooms product lines. The Elegance Shares will be issuable in four equal monthly tranches of USD625,000 per tranche. The number of Elegance Shares to be issuable under each tranche will be equal to the quotient of USD625,000 (converted into Canadian dollars using the prevailing Bank of Canada exchange rate), divided by the greater of: (I) the volume weighted average price of the Common Shares on the NEO (or such other exchange on which the Common Shares are principally traded) for the twenty (20) trading days prior to the issuance of such Elegance Shares; and (II) the minimum price permitted by the NEO. The issuance of such Elegance Shares is subject to, among other things, the approval of the NEO.
PepsiCo Beverages North America (PBNA) announced a USD1.5 million grant to the Water Replenishment District of Southern California (WRD), the largest groundwater agency in the state of California, to help manage and protect local groundwater resources to more than four million residents.
“Partnering with the Water Replenishment District of Southern California will not only help enable long-term, sustainable water security for local communities who depend on an accessible and reliable supply of clean, safe water,” said Johannes Evenblij, President of West Division at PepsiCo Beverages North America, “but it will also be critical in the advancement our pep+ (PepsiCo Positive) Net Water Positive ambition to reduce absolute water use and replenish back into the local watershed more than 100% of the water we use. As a food and beverage company, we’re acutely aware of the critical role water plays in the southern California ecosystem, and our community.”
The partnership will improve drought resiliency and pilot WRD’s first inland injection well for utilization of in-ground storage. When complete, the project will store an average of 325,851 gallons of water per year for municipal and indirect use, drought resiliency and mitigation.
“The Water Replenishment District is proud to be the first public agency to receive a water sustainability grant from PepsiCo,” said Water Replenishment District Board President John D.S. Allen. “This grant will help build our region’s drought resilience for years to come. The WRD Board of Directors commend and applaud PepsiCo for their commitment to protecting our watershed.”
PepsiCo is focused on improving water-use efficiency, local replenishment in water-scarce areas, public education, advocacy for smart water policies, and adoption of best practices with community partners. Example sustainable PepsiCo partnerships include:
Arbor Day Foundation: PBNA and PepsiCo Foods North America (PFNA) supported ADF’s replanting of two million trees in the burn scars of the Carr and Camp Fire wildfires that devastated Northern California in 2018.
California Water Action Collaborative: PBNA is part of CWAC, a coalition of industry, nonprofit, and governmental organizations investing in efforts throughout California that yield positive return for water quality and quantity.
The Nature Conservancy: PBNA collaborates with TNC as part of the Salt and Verde Alliance, a partnership that brings together companies, farmers, communities, and other organizations to help protect the Salt and Verde watersheds of the arid western United States.
Kerry releases enhanced second-generation range of premium taste extracts for low-/no-alcohol drinks
The Kerry Botanicals Collection ZERO 2.0 next-generation range of distillates from botanical sources offers enhanced and complex flavour notes to enable the creation of better-tasting low- or no-alcohol beverages – without compromising on taste.
Kerry, one of the world’s leading taste and nutrition companies, released its Botanicals Collection ZERO 2.0, an enhanced next-generation range of high-quality, authentic botanical extracts – containing 0 % ethanol – designed specifically for global rapid-growth low- and no-alcohol beverage markets. Applications include low-/no-alcohol drinks and mocktails, regular alcoholic beverages, and almost any beverage application in which a low level of alcohol or a unique taste experience is desired.
This extensive portfolio of tastes enables drink manufacturers to maintain a low (or zero) alcohol content and permits a “0.0 %” claim. In comparison to other ethanol-free technologies, the Collection ZERO 2.0 range is more stable, with no haze, no sedimentation, and a more complex botanical taste and mouthfeel.
The range of possible distillates in this new 2.0 generation includes fruit; floral; and spice and brown tonalities such as passionfruit, rosebud, elderflower, caraway, black pepper, cumin, cocoa and coffee.
With the Botanicals Collection ZERO 2.0, beverage product developers now have an extensive range of potential tastes on their creative palettes that meet emerging clean-label and authentic-quality requirements. The result: a premium drinking experience for those seeking to moderate their alcohol consumption.
Francis De Campos Ferreira, Global Taste Portfolio Director for Selected Extracts at Kerry, commented on the new botanical collection release: “Taste is extremely important to all consumers of low- and no-alcohol beverages. Our exciting second-generation Kerry Botanicals Collection ZERO 2.0 range delivers not only the fresh notes from the first generation but also now more complex flavours that remind us of those found in traditional alcoholic beverages. Another important consumer concern is that these types of drinks be naturally sourced, so it’s important to note that the ZERO 2.0 product range is created using all-natural, sustainable botanical sources.”
The new generation uses a proprietary extraction and distillation processing technique, delivering significant benefits (such as being preservative-free) while developing intense and amazingly complex aromatic profiles. ZERO 2.0 complements and expands Kerry’s first-generation Collection ZERO, which was announced in 2020. Furthermore, this newly released range offers more stability with no haze or sedimentation, and delivers a unique, complex and differentiated botanical taste profile.
Adds Mr De Campos Ferreira: “There is a rapidly growing global trend to moderate and control alcohol intake, and consumers are seeking authentic-tasting beverage options that address this desire. This has resulted in enormous growth in the global market for these kinds of beverages that is expected to continue for years. Producers able to offer tasty and healthier upscale beverage choices will see a significant and growing market opportunity in the years to come.”
“Due mainly to the fact that many no-alcohol drinks (like mocktails) resemble juices, consumer expectations are currently not being met by the prevailing no-alcohol options. Increasingly, consumers want the upscale experience of the glass, ice, and taste – simply without the alcohol content. The Kerry Botanicals Collection ZERO 2.0 portfolio delivers a premium drink that tastes great.”
Kerry’s extensive expertise and experience in natural extraction also fosters innovative “fusion distillates” based on a proprietary capability to blend natural botanicals (leaves, flowers, seeds, etc.), and then magnify taste by running a distillate following a period of slow maturation. This produces tailored extracts or blends that can be made to order to suit specific local and regional tastes and other requirements.
The trade fair welcomed more than 6,000 buyers who interacted with over 260 exhibitors during its three days, reinforcing that the physical exhibitions are irreplaceable and that ANUTEC – International FoodTec India is “the platform” for the industry.
The largest and most comprehensive exhibition for the food and beverage technology finally took place after a hiatus of nearly two years caused by the pandemic. The 15th edition of ANUTEC – International FoodTec India, held from 2-4 December 2021 at IECC, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, coincided with PackEx India and Food Logistics India. “The success of ANUTEC – International FoodTec India and PackEx India signals a turning point for the Indian food and beverage technology providers industry. We are pleased to have been able to deliver a physical exhibition of this magnitude and are immensely grateful for the overwhelming response,” said Milind Dixit, Managing Director of Koelnmesse YA Tradefair Pvt Ltd. The exhibition received 6,102 visitors from 13 countries and 268 exhibitors from 20 nations. As a result of the successful conclusion of the exhibition, the food and beverage business will take off, which has been eagerly anticipating new technologies and serving customised consumer demands.
Viki Khakhrawala, founder- Shanta G Technofoods LLP, shared his delightful experience and stated, “We have been participating in ANUTEC – International FoodTec India for the last 2-3 times and always participate with high hopes. This time we are happier because we got what we expected and got the bonus business. We are thrilled to see the footfalls and responses we are getting here. I want to give every new Food & Beverage business a message that all should participate in the exhibitions like ANUTEC – International FoodTec India. It’s the best place to identify your expertise, and it will be the best learning experience for newbies.” Vineta Singh of Fresh-O-Veg, said, “We are into food processing end-to-end consulting services. ANUTEC – International FoodTec India is a good platform for companies like us. After a gap of two years, we are quite relieved to interact with people and get back to the market.” Sunita Chaudhary, co-founder, EcoCosmos, shared her experience, “We deal in imported food processing machines. Essentially, we import from Taiwan, Turkey, and South Korea. We participated in this exhibition with some expectations, and those have been met. We were looking for responsive and mature clientele and are getting that on this platform.”
Several premium industry associations supported the event this year, including the All India Food Processors’ Association (AIFPA), Indian Flexible Packaging and Folding Carton Manufacturers Association (IFCA), and Health Food and Dietary Supplements Association (HADSA). With industry support, the event reached new heights and attracted top buyers.
Under the umbrella of ANUTEC – International FoodTec India Knowledge Forum, a series of powerful side events were organised. “India Food Supply Chain Summit” was co-organised by Logistics Insider and Food Logistics India. IFCA and PackEx India organised a seminar on “Packaging – Continuous Enabler for Creation of Value” followed by IFCA Star Awards, a National Seminar on “Technology Foresight to Modernise the Indian Food Industry for a Significant Global Role” was organised by AIFPA and Koelnmesse YA Tradefair Pvt Ltd. The event attracted who’s who from the industry, senior representatives from the Government of India and influential buyers from the neighbouring countries.
The next ANUTEC – International FoodTec India, PackEx India, and Food Logistics India will be organised from 14-16 September 2022 in Bombay Exhibition Center, Mumbai. The event will be co-located with the flagship Annapoorna – ANUFOOD India.
Symrise AG successfully continued its profitable growth course in the third quarter of 2021. The Group recorded excellent organic sales growth of 8.3 %. In the first nine months of the current financial year, growth even amounted to 9.2 %. Taking into account the portfolio effect from the acquired fragrances business of Sensient as well as currency translation effects, Group sales rose to € 2,883 million during the reporting period (9M 2020: € 2,703 million), up 6.7 % compared to the prior-year period and 10.6 % in the third quarter. Both segments contributed to this positive result.
Dr Heinz-Jürgen Bertram (Photo: Symrise)
“We can look back on an exceptionally successful third quarter of 2021. As a result of the progress made in battling the coronavirus pandemic, demand has continued to increase significantly. The demand was particularly high for applications associated with more travel or leisure activities – including, for example, sun protection products, fragrances, but also applications for beverages and culinary products. We are extremely satisfied with our business development since the beginning of the year and we are continuing our accelerated growth path,” said Dr Heinz-Jürgen Bertram, CEO of Symrise AG. “This is why we are once again raising our sales forecast to around 9 %. We are confident that we can achieve even more growth than forecasted after six-months and we will make the best possible use of the remaining weeks in 2021 to achieve this target.”
Applications for beverages and pet food drive strong sales growth for Flavor & Nutrition segment
The Flavor & Nutrition segment increased organic sales by a strong 10.0 % compared to the previous year. In the third quarter, organic growth amounted to 9.7 %. Taking currency translation effects into account, segment sales increased to € 1,752 million (9M 2020: € 1,646 million). Flavor & Nutrition also saw a normalization of consumer behavior owing to progress in combatting the coronavirus pandemic. The increase in out-of-home consumption exerted a positive impact and led to strong demand for beverages. At the same time, the increasing number of households with pets across the world generated high demand for pet food applications, resulting in strong growth in this business unit.
Applications for beverages recorded sales growth in the double-digit range. In all markets, growth was particularly driven by the strong increase in demand for beverages destined for out-of-home consumption.
Sales in the Savory business unit in all regions slightly exceeded the exceptionally high prior-year level, which was characterized by the particularly high demand during the initial months of the coronavirus pandemic.
Sales for sweet product solutions were slightly below the prior-year level. Medium single-digit growth driven by new customers in Latin America and Asia/Pacific was offset by the current low price level for vanilla.
The Pet Food business unit continued its strong growth compared to the already excellent prior-year period and increased sales in the double-digit percentage range. The sales development was particularly dynamic in the national markets of Mexico, Russia and South America.
The Food business unit achieved modest organic growth. This was driven by rising sales in Western Europe, while sales in North America declined slightly.
The ADF/IDF Group also developed extremely well, achieving double-digit organic sales growth. The business recorded strong growth in its home market, the American domestic market.
The Probiotics business unit, including the majority shareholding in the Swedish company Probi AB, did not maintain the strong level of the previous year and recorded a slight decline in sales. This is balanced by strong project vitality with numerous new product launches of customers.
Symrise once again raises its sales forecast for 2021
With its global presence, the continually growing, diversified portfolio and its broad customer base, Symrise considers itself as being robustly positioned despite the ongoing challenging market environment. Symrise has full delivery capability and can reliably meet the strongly rising demand in the wake of successful combatting of the coronavirus pandemic.
Based on the positive business development in the first nine months, Symrise is once again raising the sales target and now expects organic growth of around 9 % for the full year 2021. This corresponds to an increase of around two percentage points compared to the raised forecast of 7 % in August 2021. Symrise thereby highlights its aspiration to once again significantly outperform growth in the relevant market for fragrances and flavors during the current financial year. In the present business environment, current estimates assume market growth of 3 to 4 %.
Furthermore, Symrise is adhering to its profitability target for the financial year 2021 and is aiming for an EBITDA margin of more than 21 %.
The medium-term targets continue to be unchanged. The company expects to increase its sales to between € 5.5 and € 6.0 billion by the end of the financial year 2025. Symrise intends to achieve this increase with annual organic growth of 5 to 7 % (CAGR) and complementary strategic acquisitions. Profitability over the medium term is projected in the target corridor of 20 to 23 %.
World leader in human and animal nutrition releases second annual list of global consumer trends
ADM, a global leader in nutrition that powers many of the world’s top food, beverage, and health and wellness brands, released its second annual list of global consumer trends.
(Photo: ADM)
Based on in-depth research from ADM’s proprietary Outside VoiceSM consumer insights platform, ADM provides a breakdown of each growth space poised for takeoff in the new year. These insights are used by the world’s leading consumer brands to fuel product innovation.
Brad Schwan, vice president of category marketing for ADM, explains, “Consumers today continue to navigate a tumultuous environment that has uprooted every aspect of their lives. This has led forward-thinking brands to develop new solutions purpose-built to help consumers establish a sense of normality for themselves, their families and their pets. We’re seeing everything from foods, feeds and beverages that promote gut health to plant- based meat and dairy alternatives to biodegradable packaging.”
Below are the eight key consumer trends fueling current and future global growth that point the way for ADM’s innovation, renovation, and development platforms.
1 Nourishment for the Whole Self
Consumers want to be more proactive about supporting their mind and body through a balanced approach to diet and lifestyle. While this is a long-term trend, the recent global pandemic has placed renewed interest on mental well-being, with many looking for more effective ways to cope with stress and anxiety. Wholesome nutrition is one important way consumers are looking to support their holistic well-being. In fact, ADM Outside VoiceSM finds that 37 % of global consumers expect the snacks they eat to improve their mental well-being.
2. Plant-based Lifestyles
A flexitarian approach to eating has become mainstream as consumers look to functional, wholesome, plant-based nutrition to support healthy, environmentally friendlier lifestyles. In fact, it is expected that alternative proteins will very likely account for 11 % of the total protein market in 20352. This is being fueled, in part, by COVID-19, which has accelerated interest in plant-based, as a health-forward alternative for consumers who are paying close attention to their body’s nutritional needs. Food and beverage brands, in response, are broadening the landscape of nutrient- dense plant-based options for consumers, aiming to meet their growing demand for products that are sustainable, health and wellness oriented and safe.
3 Microbiome as The Root Of Wellness
Awareness of the microbiome as central to wellness has grown over time. Data from ADM Outside VoiceSM indicates that 58 % of global consumers are aware of the potential benefits that bacteria in the digestive system can have on their overall health. Today’s consumers are looking for foods, beverages and supplements that support gut health and overall well-being. Linked by consumers to immune function, aspects of metabolic health and even mood, mental acuity and feeling energized, consumers’ approach to supporting a healthy gut is evolving from reactive (seeking foods to alleviate discomfort) to proactive (tailored and customized pre-, pro- and postbiotic solutions), as they strive to achieve greater empowerment over their personal health and well-being.
4 Clean & Transparent Sourcing
Consumer demand for ‘clean label’ products, which they consider to consist of real, kitchen-level ingredients, has become table stakes. Today’s shopper is consistently searching for foods and beverages containing real, simple ingredients that can help promote a healthy, sustainable lifestyle. This has led to a desire for transparency across the entire product lifecycle, from how it’s made to how it’s packaged, and beyond. This is especially true during COVID-19, with consumers placing an increased emphasis on learning where their food comes from and trying to ensure the health and safety of themselves, their families, their pets and their communities. As consumers become more sophisticated in their understanding of the products they consume, 58 % of global consumers say they will be more attentive to locality claims as a result of COVID-195.
5 Humanization Of Pets
Pets are more commonly seen as part of the family – a trend that has been present over time but accelerated in strength during the pandemic. This extends to what their pets eat, with many pet parents transposing their purchasing values and preferences onto their furry companions. There’s been a 41 % increase in “all natural” pet foods launched globally3. Likewise, ADM Outside VoiceSM also found that 30 % of global pet owners spent a significant amount of time researching the best food options in the last year1. As consumers are challenged with changing lifestyles and a return to work, they will continue to monitor their pets’ overall well-being to ensure they’re providing foods and supplements aimed at helping them care for their minds and bodies.
6 Precise & Responsible Animal Feeding
The interconnectedness of the animal product supply chain is top of mind for today’s consumer. There is an increased demand for optimized feed solutions that support human and animal nutrition in an efficient, environmentally friendly manner for a range of animal species. This is driving brands to begin providing digital documentation explaining how the animal was raised, particularly related to its consumption of antibiotics and/or growth hormones. Nearly half (49 %) of consumers are willing to pay a premium for products with high quality assurances and verifiable safety standards4.
7 Sustainable Goodness
Consumers see sustainability as a moral imperative as they connect it to what is right and ethical, their community and the environment. In fact, 47 % of global consumers say they are now more attentive to sustainability claims5. This has sparked demand for ethical production and sustainable sourcing practices – such as regenerative agriculture and carbon negative production to protect the food supply of the future. Brands are responding by taking positions on environmental matters, aiming to reflect their commitments to increasing the sustainability of their production and distribution systems.
8 Advanced Renewables & BioSolutions
Today’s consumers are more conscious of the environmental impact of their consumption and the food system at large, with a specific focus on the use of finite materials and physical waste. With 38 % of global consumers being willing to pay more for products made with sustainable materials5, conscientious consumers are paying close attention to seeking out food, personal care and home care products that support the needs of their families, the environment and their local communities. And, consumers increasingly believe that companies should take greater responsibility for reducing waste and energy use from development to disposal.
Each of these growth trend spaces represents an opportunity for forward-thinking brands eager to maintain relevance with today’s consumer. ADM, a global powerhouse in human and animal nutrition, is positioned to provide these brands with the insights and novel solutions needed to meet consumer needs as they evolve in today’s ever-changing marketplace.
1ADM Outside VoiceSM 2Boston Consulting Group and Blue Horizon Corporation, Food for Thought, The Protein Transformation Report, 2021 3Mintel, The Future of Pet Food 2021 report 4Nielsen, Quality and efficacy may beat out price sensitivities amid coronavirus concerns, 2020 5FMCG Gurus: How Has COVID-19 Changed Consumer Behavior, Q21
Following PepsiCo’s introduction of Pep+, a policy that aims to improve the company’s agricultural footprint by addressing its packaging processes and greenhouse gas emissions;
Holly Inglis, Beverages Analyst at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, offers her view:
“Pep+ will keep PepsiCo ahead of the competition amid consumers’ ever-increasing demand for sustainability. The policy will be popular with the 70 %* of global consumers that stated they prefer ingredients that are sourced sustainably and ethically.
“GlobalData notes that consumers are yearning for drinks that are both better for them and better for the planet. Therefore, focusing on beverages that are thought of as ‘healthy’ and ‘sustainable’ such as dairy alternatives, flavoured waters and iced teas may be a good bet in the long term given their historical popularity in a number of markets across the globe. If PepsiCo continues to utilize these categories like Lipton, in combination with the new policies, the company will be able to get a big leg up on its competitors.
“It is clear that consumers are watching brands’ actions closely, as well as changing their purchasing habits based on how brands respond to the environmental crisis. GlobalData’s Q1 2021 global consumer survey reports that 33 %** of people worldwide like to see news about a brand’s sustainability initiatives.”
*GlobalData’s Q2-21 Consumer Survey – Global – Combined responses: “somewhat appealing” and ‘very appealing” for the question “how appealing do you find the following? Sustainably/ethically sourced ingredients” **GlobalData’s Q1-21 Consumer Survey – Global
When FACHPACK gets to open its doors again at Exhibition Centre Nuremberg from 28 to 30 September 2021, it will be the first major gathering of the European packaging industry for two years and a much longed-for reunion. Over the three-day period, the exhibition will focus on personal dialogue between business partners and colleagues and knowledge-sharing about trends, innovations and best practices. The main FACHPACK theme of “environmentally compliant packaging” will also be reflected in the extensive programme of presentations and at the special shows and exhibitor stands. Apart from sustainability, the key areas to be explored will be altered consumer behaviours, packaging design, and digital transformation. Start-ups will also be on- site to present their innovative ideas and products. And the best packaging solutions will be acknowledged at the ceremony for the German Packaging Award (dvi) and Sustainability Award (Packaging Europe). Visitors from the consumer and industrial goods segments are cordially invited to attend FACHPACK in Nuremberg. A comprehensive hygiene plan will ensure a safe visit to the exhibition.
myFACHPACK: the digital extension to the on-site event
A new feature this year is myFACHPACK, the digital extension to FACHPACK that facilitates matchmaking and knowledge transfer and extends the on-site event into the virtual environment. Even in the run-up to the trade fair, the new tool provides opportunities for networking and thus enables users to efficiently prepare for their visit. In addition, the forum programmes will be live streamed during the event and made available afterwards. The myFACHPACK tool can be used on your desktop or as an app on your mobile phone.
Hygiene plan makes in-person networking possible
Extensive protective measures and a comprehensive hygiene plan have been developed to ensure the safety of participants in the fair. Contactless payment, online ticket booking, hand sanitising stations, an ultra-modern ventilation system for exhibition halls and congress rooms, and digital tools for registration of admissions and contact tracing are just a few examples of the precautions that will be in place. “Community areas” in the exhibition halls will allow face-to-face networking in compliance with social distancing rules. For more information on the hygiene plan and protective measures (under the current rules) please go to: www.fachpack.de/schutzmassnahmen
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