Just as spectators will ask how low can you go when participants are facing off in a limbo challenge, consumers are asking the same of food and beverage manufacturers. However, these requests have spread beyond traditional low-calorie refreshment to also include sports nutrition formulations.
“People are looking for all-natural, low-calorie, low-sugar beverages that are functional,” says Penny Portner, director of marketing for Minneapolis-based Bioenergy Life Sciences Inc. (BLS). “They look at the ingredients on every label very closely. They, especially millennials, do more research on functional ingredients to make sure they are safe and proven to be effective. They don’t just believe the claims on the labels.”