Although artificial intelligence could be a wave of the future for retailers and plant operators, artificial ingredients might be a trend of the past for consumers.
Exhibitors highlight beverage ingredients for dietary needs
August 15, 2014
The Institute of Food Technologists drew more than 16,000 of the world’s top food science and technology professionals to New Orleans June 21-24 for the 2014 IFT Annual Meeting & Food Expo.
As beverage manufacturers get more creative in their product development, more beverages seem to be blurring category lines. One category that has been both aided and challenged by this multi-platform approach is the energy drink category.
Back in the ‘80s and ‘90s, chia seeds were most commonly associated with the novelty plant-growing kits Chia Pets. Now, beverage-makers are harvesting the hydrating and nutritional benefits of chia seeds and blending them into juice and juice drinks, soft drinks, and drink concentrates and mixes, according to Natalie Tremellen, market analyst at Innova Market Insights, the Netherlands.
According to Mintel, 42 percent of people who drink energy shots take them in the afternoon, and 49 percent of people who consume energy drinks also do so in the afternoon, said Jennifer Zegler, global food and drink analyst at the Chicago-based market research firm, in Beverage Industry’s August 2013 issue.
Health halo of natural energy ingredients boosts consumer acceptance
July 1, 2014
Americans seem to be busier than ever. The average work day is 8.6 hours, according to Rochester, N.Y.-based Harris Interactive, and 39 percent of Americans between the ages of 19 and 36 report that they do not have enough leisure time, according to Chicago-based Mintel.