Flow Beverage Corp. and BioSteel Sports Inc. have entered into a manufacturing agreement whereby Flow will manufacture and package BIOSTEEL-branded sport hydration beverages in the Tetra Prisma® format. Flow has been a manufacturer of BIOSTEEL-branded beverages since 2020. On December 1, 2023, BioSteel Sports, a recently incorporated company controlled by Dan Crosby, acquired from DC Holdings LTD certain assets that were previously owned by BioSteel Sports Nutrition Inc.
The Agreement has a term of three years, with commitments from BioSteel Sports to purchase minimum annual volumes (the “Minimum Annual Volumes”) which equate to approximately $19.3 million in revenue over the Term. Additionally, the Agreement has a take-or-pay provision requiring that BioSteel Sports pay Flow the equivalent of 80 % of the value of the difference between the applicable Minimum Annual Volume and the actual volume purchased during the relevant 12-month period over the Term. The Agreement provides for the committed purchase of 12 million units within the first 4 months of the Agreement, 1,062,500 averaged minimum committed purchases of packs per month for the remainder of current calendar year, and a cumulative minimum production of 24,000,000 packs for each subsequent calendar year under the Term.
Over 270 non-alcoholic beverage brands, which include many globally recognised brands, have active sponsorship deals in place with sports properties based mainly across Europe, as of October 2023. Many of these deals are highly lucrative, with seven non-alcoholic beverage brand deals worth over USD 5 million annually. Among these brands, Red Bull is the biggest spending brand in the Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region, with over USD 63.31 million being invested by it in 2023, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
GlobalData’s latest report, “EMEA Non- Alcoholic Beverage Sports Sponsorship Landscape,” reveals that Red Bull is estimated to have 10 deals in place that are worth USD 1 million or more annually. Its deals include many esports teams such as OG, Team Spirit, and G2 eSports.
Tom Subak-Sharpe, Sport Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Red Bull across the EMEA region is the biggest spending non-alcoholic beverage brand thanks to many lucrative deals, which include a primary front-of-shirt agreement with soccer club RB Leipzig. The brand’s investment in Leipzig has contributed massively in allowing the club to be one of the best-performing clubs in German soccer over the last 10 years.”
Red Bull’s biggest spending rival in the sector is Coca-Cola. GlobalData estimates the brand will spend nearly USD 60 million on sponsorship deals across the EMEA region in 2023. The brand’s biggest annual deal in the region is with FC Barcelona. Its one-year deal with the Spanish soccer giants is estimated to be worth USD 5.25 million.
Subak-Sharpe concludes: “In 2023, Coca-Cola continued to be associated with many athletes, with current deals ongoing with Neymar, Blake Griffin, Anthony Davis, Kris Bryant and Justin Barcia. Of these five deals, the one with the Brazilian soccer player Neymar is the most lucrative. Over a long period of time, Red Bull has associated itself with some of the world’s most recognisable athletes. These associations are not expected to decline, with the brand constantly identifying new top talent to partner with.”
Over 110 non-alcoholic beverage brands, which include many globally recognised brands, have active sponsorship deals in place with sports properties based mainly in the US. Many of these deals are title or main sponsorship deals, which allow brands to receive substantial brand exposure opportunities, often from sports properties that have substantial global fanbases. With many of the deals being highly lucrative, eight non-alcoholic beverage deals are worth over USD 10 million annually. PepsiCo is the biggest spending brand in the Americas region, with an estimated expenditure of USD 322.96 million, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
GlobalData’s latest report “Americas Non-Alcoholic Beverages Sports Sponsorship Landscape,” estimates that the American multinational food, snack, and beverage corporation PepsiCo has 55 deals in place, which are worth USD 1 million or more annually. In 2023, over USD 100 million is being invested by PepsiCo in team deals, which include many NFL teams such as the New England Patriots, Washington Commanders, and Miami Dolphins.
PepsiCo’s biggest competitor in the sector is Coca-Cola. In 2023, Coca-Cola is estimated to spend close to USD 277 million on sponsorship deals across the Americas region, according to GlobalData. The brand’s biggest annual deal in the region is with US Soccer. The current five-year agreement between the two parties is estimated to be worth USD 100 million.
Tom Subak-Sharpe, Sport Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “It is not surprising that PepsiCo and Coca-Cola dominate the region of all the competing non-alcoholic beverage brands due to the vast amounts of funding that these two powerhouse organisations have to spend on developing their sponsorship portfolios.”
In 2024, it is unlikely that any other non-alcoholic beverage brands will come close to competing with these two brands. However, a brand to keep an eye on who may increase their sponsorship spend and deal volume count is PRIME, the brand that is currently serving as the official sports drink of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Subak-Sharpe concludes: “The meteoric growth experienced by PRIME in 2023 may allow the brand to invest more finances into securing more sponsorship deals with globally recognised sports properties based in the Americas region.
Arla Foods Ingredients is demonstrating how its whey solutions can be used to create clear protein shakes targeting a range of different consumer segments.
Protein powders comprise 46 % of the entire sports nutrition market1, and Arla Foods Ingredients research shows that they appeal to the full spectrum of health-conscious shoppers. Over 20 % of consumers in both the ‘Active Nutrition’ and ‘Lifestyle Nutrition’ categories (who do not prioritise exercise as highly as ‘Performance Nutrition’ consumers) still consume powdered drinks at least once a week.2
As part of its ‘Go Clear’ campaign at SupplySide West (23rd to 27th October in Las Vegas), the nutrition leader will showcase three new clear whey powder concepts. Flavored to appeal to US markets in particular, each demonstrates how the right whey ingredient can meet the specific needs of consumers in a particular segment:
Go Premium: This clear shake targets performance nutrition consumers seeking out next-generation products. It is based on Lacprodan® BLG-100 – a pure beta-lactoglobulin. Packed with nutritional power and 45 % higher in leucine than other whey proteins, it is ideal for boosting muscle protein synthesis post-workout.
Go Natural: Made with Lacprodan® ISO.WaterShake (100 % whey protein isolate), this fruit-infused water shake creates new opportunities for flavoured waters. Its delicate flavours and clean texture are ideal for active nutrition consumers who want natural products that support healthy lifestyles with no compromise on taste.
Go Fresh: This thirst-quenching shake is made with Lacprodan® ClearShake (100 % whey protein isolate). Its refreshing lemonade taste makes it ideal for lifestyle nutrition consumers who aren’t specifically looking for a post-workout solution, but still want the benefits of whey.
Troels Nørgaard Laursen, Director for Health and Performance at Arla Foods Ingredients, said: “Today’s sports nutrition market is hugely diverse. While shakes are popular across the board, every consumer group has its own preferences – from the hardcore enthusiasts looking for premium ingredients and functionality, to “healthy lifestyle” consumers who prioritise taste and naturality. Fortunately our range of high-quality whey ingredients is wide enough to meet every need, so no matter which segment brands are targeting, there’s a perfect ready-to-mix solution.”
Other concepts on show at the company’s booth (#6549) will include a protein cold brew, and a tea latte RTD, both featuring Lacprodan MicelPure®. Containing 86 % native protein and naturally high in calcium, this micellar casein isolate was recently certified by the Non-GMO Project, offering another advantage to North American brands.
1Euromonitor International, 2023 2HealthFocus® International Trend Study, 2022
Vitamins, minerals and plant protein have emerged as superstar sports nutrition ingredients in new consumer research.
Prinova, a leading provider of bespoke premixes and blends, surveyed 1277 physically active European consumers. It presented them with a list of 20 common ingredients and asked them to pick the five that they most looked for in sports nutrition products.
By far the highest scoring ingredients were vitamins, picked by nearly two thirds (64 %) of consumers, followed by plant protein and minerals. Meanwhile, many ingredients not traditionally associated with sports nutrition also scored highly. Sixteen per cent of consumers looked for products containing fibre, shortly followed by omega-3 (14 %), botanicals (13 %), probiotics (9 %), and oats (9 %).
Prinova believes the findings reflect the growing body of research on non-traditional ingredients for sports nutrition, and the new diversity of the sports nutrition consumer base.
Tony Gay, Technical Sales Director, Nutrition, at Prinova Europe, said: “Not so long ago, sports nutrition was seen as synonymous with protein, but the landscape is already looking very different. The market has exploded as scientific research has revealed the value of a far wider range of ingredients for athletic performance, and that has cut through to consumers. For example, there’s growing awareness that a deficiency of B-vitamins can reduce athletes’ ability to perform high-intensity exercise, while Vitamin C offers benefits for recovery as well as immune health, and minerals can offer benefits in areas like hydration.”
The research also suggests that the plant-based trend has had a major impact on the sports nutrition space. More than four in ten (42 %) consumers named plant proteins as one of the ingredients they most looked for, compared to 26 % who looked for whey or dairy protein, 15 % who looked for egg protein and 8 % who looked for meat protein.
Prinova offers the world’s largest inventory of food-grade single vitamins and is the leading supplier of Vitamins B and C. Its Aquamin range of marine multimineral-complex products is supported by more than 40 peer-reviewed scientific publications.
It is also a leading distributor of natural high-quality plant proteins from sources such as rice, pea, lentil, and fava bean, and with Europe’s largest inventory of food-grade amino acids, offers a range of BCAAs, EAAs and NEAAs, from single ingredients to bespoke blends.
The full research is available in a new Prinova White Paper, ‘State of Play: New insights into the changing sports nutrition market’. It can be downloaded at: www.prinovaglobal.com/eu/en/
Prinova research has revealed wide variations in the needs of sports nutrition consumers, with those who exercise less frequently more likely to prioritise goals such as weight management and immune health. The survey also shows that more casual sports nutrition consumers are more likely to value taste and texture.
Prinova, the leading provider of bespoke premixes and blends, surveyed 1277 European consumers of sports nutrition products. Although all were physically active, exercising at least twice a week, their preferred activities, goals, needs and purchasing habits varied significantly by activity level.
Respondents were presented with a list of 15 possible goals and asked to pick the five that were most important to them when using sports nutrition products. The three most common were energy (71 %), post-exercise recovery (51 %) and muscle growth (48 %).
However, the research suggests that the mainstreaming of the consumer base has increased the importance of goals not traditionally associated with the category. Consumers who exercised twice a week were almost twice as likely to prioritise immune health as those who exercised daily (20 % vs 11 %).
The less frequent exercisers were also significantly more likely to target weight management (24 % vs 16 %) and digestive health (11 % vs 7 %), and to list taste and texture as a purchase influencer (33 % compared to 22 %).
Tony Gay, Technical Sales Director, Nutrition, at Prinova Europe, said: “Sports nutrition has emerged from its niche of serious athletes, resulting in a more mainstream consumer base. This research suggests that people who exercise less regularly tend to have different goals from their more ‘hardcore’ counterparts and are more likely to have needs that overlap with other categories, such as immune health and weight management. The key takeaway is that there is no ‘typical’ sports nutrition consumer, and as the market becomes more fragmented, there will be growing demand for innovative bespoke and hybrid products targeting more than one goal.”
Prinova is a leading global supplier of ingredients and premix manufacturing solutions. Its branded products for sports nutrition include:
enduracarb® – a science-backed, slow-release ‘double sugar’ which outperforms other carbohydrate sources over prolonged periods of intense exercise
Aquamin – a range of plant-based, clean label, marine multimineral-complex products supported by more than 40 peer-reviewed scientific publications
EAAlpha™ – a patented, balanced blend of nine essential amino acids (EAAs) with arginine, providing an optimal ratio for muscle protein synthesis.
The survey of 1277 consumers in the UK, France, Germany Italy and Spain was carried out in April 2023. The full results will be published in a Prinova report.
We unpick how Prime Hydration has become the ‘must-have’ health drink of the year and explore where the brand goes from here.
What is Prime Hydration?
Prime Hydration (Photo: SW Group)
Congo Brands partnered with rapper Olajide Olayinka Williams Olatunji (KSI) and YouTuber/media personality Logal Paul to produce Prime, a new sports drink that first launched in the US in January 2022. More than half a million people watched the pair announce their beverage collaboration on YouTube.
Positioned with multiple health benefits, the drink appeals to those looking to make ‘better-for-you’ choices across a range of lifestyles – not just athletes.
It is an electrolyte- and antioxidant-fortified beverage with 10 % coconut water, with natural flavours. Its product range includes Ice Pop, Orange, Blue Raspberry, Tropical Punch, Lemon Lime, Grape, and a limited-edition flavour, Meta Moon, flavours. Its launch line-up is a ‘who’s who’ in classic, well-known flavours with broad accessibility and appeal.
Why is it so popular?
The founders have a combined social media following of over 125million across Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and YouTube – giving them an enormous ‘ready-made’ customer base.
The brand has secured exclusivity agreements with select retail partners, limiting the ways in which people can purchase the product. This has driven enormous hype around the product’s availability, which only adds to the appeal.
The drink was released in stores and online in the US on the 8th January and strength of demand led to it selling out within hours. In the UK, it was a similar story, with national media adding to the demand with increasing coverage and frenzy around the brand’s limited availability.
This exclusivity has certainly been a key driver behind the drink’s success. According to GlobalData’s Q3 2022 global consumer survey, about 52 % of consumers say that they are often or always influenced by the fact the product they are purchasing is novel or unique.
The Q2 survey highlighted how 43 % of global consumers see food and beverages being endorsed by a celebrity as an essential or nice to have feature, which will have certainly boosted the success of Prime – particularly with the younger generations.
How important are the ingredients?
Quantifying just how important isn’t an exact science, but history tells us that ultimately the taste, and quality, of the flavour are what matter long-term. The draw of celebrity endorsements, fueled by the products’ limited availability are sure to drive huge interest around initial purchase. One must question the longevity of that as a standalone strategy as, without a great tasting formulation behind the brand, appetite will inevitably fizzle out.
The quality of the drinking experience is a big part of what keeps people coming back to a product – making it integral to the brand’s success in the long term.
What’s next?
The brand is preparing to expand to India, Australia, South Africa, and the UAE this year. Logan Paul has been quoted as saying: “We want to be a global brand, and we believe that because the audience JJ and I have built online is extensive – the internet is available in most parts of the world, and we’re finding that our silly mugs are popping up on people’s phones across the world – it would be foolish not to capitalise on it.”
Other brands will surely look to emulate Prime’s success, with influencer-based marketing becoming increasingly prevalent in the beverage industry. We’re also seeing what can be achieved when consumer-aligned ingredients, the right health and wellbeing claims, and a sense of excitement around a product’s exclusivity collide.
Nektium is taking steps to secure the long-term sustainability of its Rhodiolife® Rhodiola rosea extract by switching a significant proportion of its raw material sourcing to cultivated plants. The move – an industry first on such a large commercial scale – will reduce reliance on under-pressure wild-grown supplies.
Rhodiola rosea is one of the most powerful adaptogens found in nature, offering a range of cognitive and sports nutrition benefits. It grows wild in the remote Altai mountains in south and central Asia at the intersection of Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and China. The rapidly growing market for adaptogens has increased demand for Rhodiola rosea roots, leading to concerns about over-harvesting.
In response, Nektium has worked with its long-standing local partner to establish fields that offer conditions optimal for the controlled growing of Rhodiola rosea. Together, they have converted barren land in undeveloped, unpopulated locations, ensuring minimal impact on communities close by. After a successful trial, initial exploratory fields were extended to provide full-scale sustainable cultivation sufficient to satisfy market demand at an industrial level.
The plant material used to grow Nektium’s cultivated Rhodiola rosea for Rhodiolife® was originally taken from wild-harvested Siberian plants growing near where the fields have been established. This means there are no physical or phytochemical differences between Rhodiolife® produced from wild-harvested roots and that produced from cultivated raw materials.
Debbie Thoma, Marketing Manager at Nektium, said: “As a responsible supplier of botanical ingredients, we are acutely aware of the importance of conservation, and this initiative will help to secure a sustainable and reliable source of Rhodiola rosea roots for years to come. In addition, cultivation in a controlled setting results in a more predictable and secure long-term raw material supply, which leads to improved price stability, superior safety, and more effective quality control. It also offers greater peace-of-mind around authenticity, which is especially significant in an age of widespread adulteration.”
Rhodiola rosea’s adaptogenic activity is usually attributed to four principal compounds – salidroside, rosin, rosavin, and rosarin – all found at high concentrations in the roots. Nektium’s Rhodiolife® standardised Rhodiola rosea ingredient was launched 25 years ago, since when it has earned a reputation as a high-quality and effective botanical extract. It is also available certified drug-free for athletes by the third-party Banned Substances Control Group.
LIFEAID Beverage Company has released a new line of clean performance energy drinks. The FITAID Energy® collection is the long awaited clean-caffeine addition to their original Sports Recovery product, FITAID®, boosted with 200 mg of caffeine from green tea. The FITAID Energy + Sports Recovery blend is naturally sweetened with only 15 calories, no sucralose, no aspartame, no fillers, and no synthetic caffeine. Available in four electric flavours: Mango Sorbet, Peach Mandarin, Blackberry Pineapple, and an online exclusive Raspberry Hibiscus, FITAID contains no artificial flavours or colours.
“This is the evolution of energy. Energy 3.0,” says LIFEAID Co-Founder and President, Aaron Hinde. “FITAID Energy is unlike any other energy drink on the market. Our clean caffeine from green tea helps fight your fitness fatigue and contains our original post-workout recovery blend which includes BCAAs, Turmeric, Electrolytes, Vitamins B, C, D3, E, and more. All of our hand-picked ingredients have met the highest supplement standards and remain vegan, non-gmo, and gluten-free. Coupled with no sucralose, no taurine, and no synthetic caffeine, FITAID Energy is the future of clean performance energy.”
LIFEAID Beverage Company has long held itself to the highest standards of product design and formulation. The LIFEAID research and development team spent a year formulating an optimal blend of clean caffeine and quality supplements to give athletes an all-in-one solution without compromises. Each of the four flavours have a clean, crisp finish and avoid the synthetic aftertaste often associated with energy drinks.
FITAID Energy is available at the company’s website, Lifeaidbevco.com, Amazon, and select retailers in the U.S. including, Vitamin Shoppe, Harris Teeter, HEB, HyVee, Circle K, Stop & Shop, Big Y, United Market Street, G & M Oil.
Refresco announces that it has entered into an agreement with AZPACK (Arizona Production & Packaging) to acquire their manufacturing activities located in Tempe, Arizona, USA. With this agreement, Refresco further expands its footprint in North America to enable strategic growth in this region. Refresco became the world’s largest independent bottler with leadership positions across Europe and North America following the acquisition of Cott’s bottling activities last year.
Hans Roelofs, CEO Refresco Group, explains: “North America is a large and very diverse market with a lot of growth potential in different drinks categories. Our current footprint consists of 27 locations in North America, serving national and international branded beverage companies and retailers. With the addition of AZPACK to the Refresco Group, we will be even better positioned to service customers in the Southwestern USA across many categories, including energy drinks and innovative sports drinks. AZPACK will have a specialist role in the Refresco Group, as they are known for their expertise in manufacturing complex niche products for branded beverage companies.”
Adds Peter Reilly, Co-Founder of AZPACK: “We have grown our company significantly over the past decade, but recognize the need for a different and larger platform in order to continue to grow and thrive. Both Dr. Wang and I will stay on as managers to support this next growth phase. Refresco is a very experienced beverage solutions provider and they value entrepreneurship and flexibility as much as we do. Our can-do mentality perfectly matches their approach to serving customers.”
Vegan ingredients, functional concepts and a CBD-free painkiller: Taiyo’s new developments attracted a lot of attention at Vitafoods in Geneva.
Taiyo, the health-promoting natural ingredients expert, used Vitafoods Europe, in Geneva, to debut innovative concepts that were particularly well received by manufacturers of sports nutrition and functional products. The most surprising innovation was a concept developed by Taiyo GmbH in Germany and partners for the European market: A legal cannabidiol (CBD) alternative that promises legal and safe consumption with a CBD effect. Also among the sought-after new products were a vegan protein shake concept based on chia protein and bean fibre, which contains green coffee beans, along with new prototypes for functional, clear, instant soups offering increased saturation and regeneration, with protein and fibre enrichment.
At the meeting point for the dietary supplement industry, Taiyo caused a sensation with its cannabis alternative CPT. The additive, which can be legitimately distributed and consumed worldwide, has nerve-protecting properties and acts systemically on the central nervous system. Managing Director Dr. Stefan Siebrecht: “CPT is by no means a synthetic cannabinoid, nor does it contain real cannabis. CPT is a combination of three natural and legal extracts which complement each other in such a way that they have a similar effect to CBD. The components of CPT are long established and are already being used in America to reduce the side effects of therapeutic cannabis. This makes the almost comparable effect all the more interesting: CPT has an anti-inflammatory effect, relieves pain and reduces a number of stress-related symptoms. And although the ingredient improves sleep quality, it does not make you tired, but instead regulates the natural day-night rhythm. Improved concentration and learning ability are further positive effects.”
Taiyo’s innovations in the weight management segment also attracted plenty of interest. One novelty, a vegan satiating protein shake, is part of an extensive range of chia products and concepts. The allergen-free organic shake concept combines all the benefits that health and weight-conscious consumers value: high-quality micro and macro nutrients, a performance-enhancing Q10 source, a creamy cappuccino taste and easily digestible fibre. In addition, the formulation contains green coffee beans that release caffeine slowly over 6-8 hours, increasing calorie consumption and reducing diet-related fatigue.
Another highlight at the stand was functional instant soups, which could well change the negative image of an infusion meal: The recipes consist exclusively of nutritionally sensible ingredients and are free from flavour enhancers such as glutamate or yeast; they contain neither starch nor palm oil, or other declarable additives. Each portion contains 66 per cent vegetables, over 5g vegetable protein and Taiyo’s natural fibre Sunfiber® from the guar bean. A variant with a higher content of collagen peptides appeals to target groups such as athletes, the elderly or infirm who want or need to do something to care for or maintain muscle strength.
Arla Foods Ingredients is injecting some fizz into the sports nutrition category with its new Lacprodan® HYDRO.Clear. The advanced 100 % whey protein hydrolysate solution is specially developed for formulating sparkling protein waters.
Lacprodan® HYDRO.Clear is fat and sugar-free and delivers optimized taste, a low bitterness profile and long shelf life. It is lactose-free, low in energy, very low in salt and easy to flavour.
Full-scale factory trials have shown that Lacprodan® HYDRO.Clear can be used to produce sparkling water products with up to 6 % protein. This makes it straightforward for sports drinks manufacturers to create crystal-clear, sparkling, high-protein RTD beverages with strong health credentials.
Joe Katterfield, Health and Performance Nutrition Development Manager at Arla Foods Ingredients, said: “With Lacprodan® HYDRO.Clear it is possible to produce a great-tasting, high-protein sparkling water. This means that sports nutrition brands can launch, for example, a standard 330 ml can containing 20 g of whey protein per serving, making it perfect for sports nutrition users. The concept is also ideal for lifestyle and soft drink brands, as it allows them to offer a great source of protein in convenient and refreshing on-the-go format that will appeal to all ages.”
Sales of sports protein drinks increased by an average of 9.5 % a year between 2013 and 2017 and are forecast to grow by 8.4 % annually between 2018 and 2022 – highlighting consumers’ thirst for these products.[1] Sales of functional and fortified waters, meanwhile, rose by 4 % a year from 2013-2017 and are forecast to grow by 6 % a year from 2018-2022. The carbonates segment is also robust, with a 22 % a year increase in new launches globally between 2007 and 2017.[2]
Joe Katterfield added: “Market conditions are ideal for launching sparkling protein waters targeted at sports nutrition users, a group of consumers who are always on the look-out for products that deliver high levels of whey protein in a convenient format. However, for technical reasons – primarily related to issues around taste and bitterness – there are currently no sparkling protein waters on the market made exclusively with whey. In this respect, Lacprodan® HYDRO.Clear is a game-changer, enabling manufacturers to incorporate 100 % whey protein hydrolysate into crystal clear carbonated beverages.”
