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.
Although chia seeds are more commonly included in food products, 12 percent of products launched with chia seeds in 2013 were beverages, compared with 3 percent in 2012, says Stephanie Pauk, global food science analyst at Mintel, Chicago. Thirty-nine percent of chia seed beverage launches in the United States in 2013 were categorized as juice and juice drinks, with 22 percent in the carbonated soft drinks category and 19 percent in the drink concentrates and mixes category, Innova’s Tremellen reports.