New research and inspiring wellness concepts will highlight the power of combining sustainably sourced botanicals, scientific rigour, and a deep understanding of taste to create the next generation of health and wellness experiences.
Givaudan will showcase consumer-inspired concepts such as instant drinks and gummies that feature its branded botanical ingredients at Vitafoods Europe (14–16 May 2024 in Geneva). These new concepts will demonstrate effective ways of addressing the growing demand for immune support, urinary tract health, cognition, relaxation, energy, and gut health.
Designed to ensure an optimal sensory experience and accompany consumers throughout the day, each of the concepts features solutions from Givaudan’s extensive portfolio, including health, taste, and flavours ingredients. The early morning concept presents an instant drink, providing a boost of natural caffeine with our innovative guarana extract, paired with a citrus flavour. For midday, the concept comes in a refreshing peppermint-flavoured gummy format, featuring CereboostTM Givaudan’s American ginseng that has been demonstrated to support attention and memory. Finally, the evening concept offers a relaxing experience, leveraging the power of valerian in a gummy format with a tasty black tea peach flavour.
Amandine de Santi, Ingredients Portfolio Director, Taste & Wellbeing Europe at Givaudan, said: “The nutra market is in the midst of a revolution, with a growing number of consumers seeking great-tasting food supplements supported by scientific research. Achieving a balance between efficacy and palatability is crucial. Givaudan leverages its in-depth knowledge of taste to successfully address off-notes in active botanicals using our extensive range of masking and flavouring solutions. By sharing our expertise in both taste and botanicals with our customers, we are able to co-create appealing consumer experiences that offer powerful benefits and that satisfy the desire for great taste backed by sound science.”
Reflecting its commitment to science-backed ingredients, Givaudan will unveil the results of a ground-breaking clinical study on PacranTM during the event. PacranTM is an extensively studied whole cranberry ingredient for urinary tract health. This study showcases the efficacy and reliability of PacranTM, further reinforcing Givaudan’s expertise in developing science-backed nutra solutions. Visitors can learn more about the clinical study by attending a presentation in the New Ingredients Theatre on May 14 at 3:30pm CET.
Vitafoods visitors will also be able to further explore online the science and sourcing stories behind many of these powerful botanicals on Givaudan’s new Health & Nutrition Hub, which showcases the company’s portfolio of branded ingredients. This new digital platform illustrates how natural ingredients, careful raw material selection and sustainable practices, combined with scientifically proven benefits, can help customers differentiate their end products to resonate with consumers.
FruitSmartTM has identified rising demand for fruit juice and botanical combinations as a major new trend in the healthy beverage space, and will highlight its capability to blend them at Natural Products Expo West (8th to 10th March 2023).
Usage occasions for fruit juice are changing, with consumers increasingly viewing it as a permissible indulgence, and looking for new experiences. They are also seeking out products with additional wellness benefits, a need that micronutrient-rich juices are able to meet, particularly if fortified with other healthy ingredients. Mintel has highlighted functional benefits as a possible key to growth in the juice and juice drinks market.1
Meanwhile, in an increasingly stressful world, consumers are turning to natural ingredients for self-care, with the global botanical-infused drinks market predicted to grow at a CAGR of 6.4% over the next ten years.2 By formulating with botanicals, juice manufacturers can meet multiple needs, offering benefits such as energy and stress reduction, as well as novel flavors.
Working with 31 fruits, FruitSmart is a leading producer of juice concentrates and Not From Concentrates. It also has access to a wide range of botanical extracts, vegetable powders and flavors through its sister companies, Shank’s and Silva International.
At Natural Products Expo West, the Washington State-based company will highlight its capabilities to blend juices with botanicals, as well as other ingredients. Beverage concepts on show at the company’s booth (#N1447) will include:
An immunity drink combining apple, raspberry, cherry and blueberry juices with turmeric, ginger, acai and vanilla extracts
A blend of apple and beetroot juice with red and black pepper
A raspberry smoothie with protein and fiber
Wayne Lutomski, President of FruitSmart, said: “The positioning of fruit juices has undergone a fascinating journey. They were once seen as the ultimate health product, before concerns about sugar content and ultra-processing removed a little shine from the halo. In the new phase of their evolution, we’re going to see more products that combine a novel experience with sought-after wellness benefits. Blending juices with botanicals is a great way to meet this need and FruitSmart is the ideal partner to help you do it. We have the expertise and the resources to combine juices with botanicals, juices with flavors, juices with vegetable powders, and juices with other juices.”
1Mintel ‘The Future of Juice and Juice Drinks: 2022’ 2Fact.MR, 2023
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.
With four grams of prebiotic fiber from sunchokes and no sugar or caffeine, Gist works symbiotically with the body
Gist, a thoughtfully created prebiotic sparkling beverage brewed with only five organically certified botanical ingredients, launched today. Created with plants, not extracts, Gist is redefining what it means to be a clean beverage.
Each can of Gist has four grams of prebiotic fiber, 14 percent of the daily recommended value, from sunchokes (also known as Jerusalem artichokes). There is no sugar or sweetener and zero caffeine. It’s cold-brewed with steeped herbs that infuse its unique flavours, offering healthful benefits and a natural sweetness.
Lizzy Haucke (Photo: Gist)
Lizzy Haucke, who founded Gist in 2020, has embraced a clean lifestyle for decades and approached the creation of Gist as she does her own life: with intention and a “come as you are” philosophy. As an entrepreneur, mom, dancer and Pilates practitioner, Lizzy wanted a go-to beverage that aligned with her values, while positively impacting her body and everyday life.
“I wanted a drink that was good for my health — not a negative or even net zero,” said Haucke. “As I explored options, I was disappointed by the ingredient list of so-called ‘clean’ beverages. They were full of ingredients I wouldn’t want myself or my family consuming. So, I started cold-brewing different herb combinations in my home kitchen to find the right flavor and ingredient combinations.
“I’m really proud of what we’ve created because Gist is exactly what many people like me have been looking for. It’s not only clean, but also approachable, meeting people wherever they are on their well-being journey. Drinking a Gist every day is one of the small steps I take that, over time, adds up to the life I want to live and how I want to feel living it.”
Gist Flavours + Ingredients
Gist is sold in sleek 12-ounce cans and initially available in two distinct flavours: Chamomile with Rosemary and Ginger with Rooibos.
Chamomile with Rosemary has a light, floral and herbal flavour profile and is brewed with golden chamomile flowers and a refreshing hint of rosemary. Sweet and easygoing, the five ingredients include: carbonated water, organic chamomile flower, organic rosemary, organic Jerusalem artichoke inulin and organic lime juice.
Ginger with Rooibos is sweet, spicy and rich. Robust without being overwhelming, the brewed ginger root and honey-sweet rooibos tea are an energizing combination. Ingredients include: carbonated water, organic ginger root, organic rooibos tea, organic Jerusalem artichoke inulin and organic lime juice.
Introduces Má CBD+ natural botanicals functional iced teas exclusively in over 500 The Vitamin Shoppe stores
Sh’nnong Beverage Company is launching new Má Functional Iced Teas with CBD+ natural botanicals with a national roll-out to over 500 The Vitamin Shoppe stores in the USA. Má ready-to-drink teas might be new to The Vitamin Shoppe customers but their roots date back to 2737 BC when Emperor Shennong of China discovered tea and combined it with organic hemp and botanicals to make his original Má brews. Sh’nnong Beverage Company’s next-generation plant-based beverages start with the finest Green, Oolong or Bai Mudan Teas blended with CBD+ natural botanicals to detox, focus or relax.
Jill Beraud, CEO and Co-founder of Sh’nnong Beverages Company, is no stranger to the iced tea beverage category, having previously served as President of Starbucks & Lipton Joint Ventures at PepsiCo, where she oversaw the largest global tea portfolio and the reinvention of Pure Leaf Teas.
“When my business partner Charlie Herbstreith and I originally discussed this idea, it reminded me of my time at PepsiCo when kombucha and coconut water were just emerging. However, given the far-reaching benefits of CBD, this is a much bigger white space,” stated Beraud. “The Vitamin Shoppe is the perfect launch partner for us. They are establishing themselves as CBD Central across multiple categories and have tremendous in-store expertise in health, wellness and nutrition.”
Sh’nnong Beverage Company is raising the bar with next generation, plant-based beverages by infusing each Má Iced Tea with CBD+ natural botanicals. CBD+ not only harnesses the functional benefits of zero-THC Hemp CBD but elevates those benefits by combining it with nearly 20 different herbs and spices inspired by the original Má brews of Emperor Shennong. Shennong used his brews to treat a variety of conditions and later became known as the Father of Chinese Herbal Medicine.
All Má Functional Iced Teas with CBD+ Natural Botanicals ($4.99) are naturally sweetened, contain no sugar and are less than 10 calories. Available exclusively at The Vitamin Shoppe, Má Iced Teas are carefully curated into three distinct blends including:
FOCUS: Oolong Peach Spark will help you feel more focused with CBD + brain-stimulating adaptogens of ginkgo biloba, gotu kola and Rhodiola Rosea. With 40mg of natural caffeine added, it is just the right spark you need to help promote cognitive brain activity.
RELAX: Lavender Berry Chill features blueberry-infused, caffeine-free Bai Mudan Tea blended with CBD, chamomile, lavender, lemon balm, elderflower and passionflower to impart calm and help reduce stress and anxiety.
DETOX: Emperor Spice Cleanse is a caffeine-free, detoxifying brew to help you purify the mind, body and soul with CBD + Green Tea, lemon, chamomile, schisandra berry and dandelion root to help remove toxins from the body.
Sh’nnong Beverage Company was founded to develop plant-based, functional beverages leveraging CBD + natural botanicals inspired by Emperor Shennong. The company was founded by Jill Beraud and Charlie Herbstreith, executives with over 25 years of business and marketing expertise.
About the Vitamin Shoppe, Inc.: The Vitamin Shoppe® is an omni-channel specialty retailer and wellness lifestyle Company with the mission of providing customers with the most trusted products, guidance, and services to help them become their best selves, however they define it. Based in Secaucus, New Jersey, the Company offers a comprehensive assortment of nutritional solutions, including vitamins, minerals, specialty supplements, herbs, sports nutrition, homeopathic remedies, green living products, and natural beauty aids.
Blossom Water LLC introduces Blossom Water Version 2.0, a transformational evolution of the category-creating essence water that is distinguished by appreciation and use of blossom botanicals. More than ever, Blossom Water checks all the boxes in addressing those core values that mainstream, discriminating buyers seek: a drink that is healthful, convenient to consume and, above all, truly enjoyable.
New Health Benefits
With Version 2.0, Blossom Water ups the ante as a better-for-you beverage. While a touch of sweetener remains indispensable for carrying the lively yet nuanced flavors that are Blossom Water’s hallmark, this new version has been reformulated to more than halve the original’s already low calorie and sugar content. Through a proprietary, next-generation sweetener blend, each serving is now only 10 calories and 2 grams of sugar ─ with 0 (zero) compromise on taste. Moreover, in the spirit of offering an even cleaner label, erythritol and agave have been eliminated. Version 2.0 also provides a new and valuable functional benefit for supporting immune health. With this game-changing enhancement, Blossom Water is the only shelf-stable RTD beverage providing clinically proven immune support efficacy on a par with that of probiotics.
Immunity has become an area of paramount interest for food and beverage consumers, in keeping with the trend toward a more preventive approach for protecting health. Surveys show immune support to be consumers’ second most desired functional benefit, behind only general health and wellness. That’s not surprising since a strong immune system is the best defense for maintaining wellness and vitality. Natural immunity can be operating at less than full strength due to a host of factors: dietary or sleep deficiency, age (children, for example, don’t have fully developed immune systems) or just plain stress brought on by today’s fast-paced way of life. To help address the need, Blossom Water Version 2.0 includes Staimune®, an FDA GRAS functional ingredient that was developed by Ganeden, now part of Kerry Group.
New Packaging
To signify these fundamental improvements, as well as aid convenience and versatility, Blossom Water Version 2.0 sports completely refreshed packaging. The label is now dramatic matte white, suggestive of the heightened wellness value, while strikingly superimposed flower and fruit watercolors convey the same dedicated commitment to flavor. Instead of glass, the bottle is now 100 % recyclable, BPA-free PET for better portability (lighter weight with no breakage worry) that fits with busy lifestyles and a wide range of occasions for consumption. Finally, the logo’s blossom image is thrown into sharper relief, clearly tying to the brand’s original inspiration and ongoing vision for development.
New Flavor
That vision is on display with the expansion of Blossom Water’s product line to include mango hibiscus, a new flavor that fuses succulent, mellow mango with the gentle, berry-like zest of hibiscus. Touted as “the king of fruits” in Asia and South America for its luscious juiciness, mango is gaining favor in the U.S. with growing influence of more ethnically diverse Millennials. At the same time, hibiscus in food and drink has begun to catch fire in the country. Whole Foods Market ranks floral flavors as #1 on its list of top 10 trends for 2018, and further singles out hibiscus as a “hot part of the trend.” Blossom Water’s hibiscus comes from Hibiscus sabdariffa that’s sustainably grown by local farmers in Sudan and Nigeria, who handpick and sun-dry the ruby red bases (calyces) of the flowers after bloom. Hibiscus has been consumed as a beverage for hundreds of years across Africa, Asia and Latin America. In Northern Africa, for instance, weddings and other special events are toasted with a glass of karkade, water infused with hibiscus calyces and sweetened with honey. In Southeast Asia, the calyces are frequently made into a syrup and poured over ice. And throughout Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean ─ where hibiscus is often called Jamaica ─ agua de flor de Jamaica is popular as a refreshingly crisp drink to help beat the heat. Harmonized to bring out the best and most complementary attributes of each, Blossom Water’s mango hibiscus delivers a delightfully balanced sweet-tart taste and fresh fruit nose.
Herbie Virgin is a new product with no alcohol. Herbie Virgin is hand distilled like a gin with juniper, Danish apples, lavender and orange peel just without the alcohol.
“It has been very interesting to develop a product with the taste of gin, but without the alcohol. We believe there is a big market for alcohol free alternatives for people who doesn’t drink or just want to drink less alcohol”, says Anders Bilgram, who is the man behind Herbie Gin together with Danish rum producer Anders Skotlander. “The range of non alcohol beers have been growing in Scandinavia for the last couple of years, e.g the Danish microbrewer Mikkeller’s second most selling beer is the non alcohol “Drink’in The Sun””, Anders Skotlander says.
Distilled as a regular gin
Herbie Virgin is distilled at the same stills that produce Herbie Gin, which has become one of the best selling gins on the Danish market, since it was launched in December 2016.
“We hand distill Herbie Virgin the same way we distill Herbie Gin. We use real botanicals like juniper, Danish apples, lavender and orange peel, but without the alcohol”, says Anders Bilgram.
Distilled as a regular gin
Herbie Virgin distilled at Nordic Distillery in Northern Jutland in the same stills, which make the award-winning Danish Herbie Gin, who in december was awarded the double gold medal at the blind tasting in New York.
“We hand distils Herbie Virgin completely, as when we make a standard gin, that is to say with botanicals such as Juniper, Danish apples, lavender flowers and orange peel just without alcohol”, says Anders Bilgram.
The taste of gin
Herbie Virgin is made so that it fits perfectly in a Gin & Tonic with plenty of ice and a slice of fresh Apple or peel of orange.
“It’s a new type of product, but our ambition was to create something with great taste and the scent of a fresh and fruity gin. And I have to say that it actually tastes really good”, says Anders Bilgram.
WILD Flavors & Specialty Ingredients (WFSI), a business unit of Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM), will be at this year’s SIAL trade fair in Paris, where they will present appealing vegan soy drinks and Fruit&Veggie concepts, to name only a few. They will also be featuring contemporary carbotanicals as well as new cider mixes and still drinks. All of these product ideas have one thing in common: they are based on WFSI’s great-taste expertise, and they satisfy consumer demand for natural products.
Vegan products: new concepts that drive developments in the beverage market
The growth rate for new launches among vegan foods and drinks reached 400 % between 2011 and 2015.1 This shows that vegan diets have established themselves in society around the world, and there are no signs of the trend reversing. Manufacturers who want to take advantage of these developments can sample the new soy drink concepts by WFSI in Paris. This generation of vegan power drinks is vegan and lactose-free, contains protein and important B vitamins, and is energizing. Last but not least, they will win people over with their tempting and aromatic flavor profiles, which are available in banana, chocolate and strawberry.
Cider: unfiltered, refreshing, different
To generate new impetus on the market for alcoholic flavored beverages, WFSI took the idea of unfiltered flavored beer concepts and transferred it to cider, thus creating a brand new kind of refreshment for adults. Tangy cider drinks with hints of popular citrus flavors like lemon and grapefruit contain 5 % fruit juice and 2 % alcohol. They are fruitier and less sweet than classic cider beverages, making them an attractive alternative to flavored beers.
Botanicals: fruity refreshment with a spicy and aromatic note
Carbonated soft drinks are the second-largest beverage category after water. The market is largely saturated, however, which means new inspiration is needed. At SIAL, WFSI is presenting a new concept which incorporates popular flavors while also creating buzz with unexpected flavor accents. The Carbotanicals which WFSI has developed with popular kinds of fruit will draw in new customers, and these drinks also offer a pleasant surprise with a spicy-aromatic hint that comes from natural extracts of well- known kinds of herbs. Trade-fair visitors are welcome to come to the booth in Paris and try an elegantly-balanced combination of red berries with basil.
Fruit & veggie: juicy, fruity, refreshing
Eating vegetables of all kinds is more popular than ever, and it corresponds to people’s desire for a healthy lifestyle. This is the perfect market opportunity for juices and still drinks with an added touch of vegetables. In response to the current demand for health and wellness products, WFSI’s portfolio includes fruit&veggie still drinks such as orange- pumpkin-ginger or beet-strawberry. They contain a harmonious blend of fruit and vegetable juices and are also available as a low-calorie option with steviol glycosides. At SIAL, those who like their drinks “juicier” can turn to WFSI’s concepts with a high juice content, including beverages with 50 % each fruit and vegetable juices, products enhanced with blossoms, or not-from-concentrate (NFC) juices.
The growth rate for new launches among vegan foods and drinks reached 400 % between 2011 and 2015.1 This shows that vegan diets have established themselves in society around the world, and there are no signs of the trend reversing. Manufacturers who want to take advantage of these developments can sample the new soy drink concepts by WFSI in Paris. This generation of vegan power drinks is vegan and lactose-free, contains protein and important B vitamins, and is energizing. Last but not least, they will win people over with their tempting and aromatic flavor profiles, which are available in banana, chocolate and strawberry.
ed combination of red berries with basil.