The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) hosted its annual Food Expo, which took place June 2-5 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. With the theme of Feed Your Future, the tradeshow welcomed more than 23,000 attendees and highlighted the latest innovations impacting the food and beverage markets.

The following are highlights from exhibitors serving the beverage community:

AIDP Inc., City of Industry, Calif., promoted its Turmacin, a water-soluble composition derived from turmeric, and BacoMind, a memory and cognitive-enhancing phytochemical composition featuring bacopa extract.

Chicago-based Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) offered samples of vanilla mint lemonade featuring sucrose, a sweet tea that was sweetened with Sweet Right Stevia Leaf Edge, the company’s stevia offering. At a nearby booth, ADM and Matsutani offered samples of a better-for-you kiwi-strawberry beverage featuring its fiber ingredient Fibersol.

Ajinomoto North America, Itasca, Ill., offered a prototype of an ancho cinnamon chocolate chiller, which featured Advantame as a sweetener, and a pea-protein chocolate milk containing Advantame.

Parsippany, N.J.-based Beneo showcased the power of its prebiotic chicory root fiber for digestive health. As a special tribute to the chicory coffee tradition of New Orleans, Beneo also featured a coffee beverage containing chicory root fiber and its next generation sugar Palatinose.

BI Nutraceuticals, Rancho Dominguez, Calif., featured a prototype of a tropical peach juice with green tea and turmeric, as well as a high-protein iced mocha containing Psyberloid, BI’s psyllium fiber.

Bioenergy Life Science Inc., Andover, Minn., promoted its Bioenergy Ribose, a 5-carbon monosaccharide; and RiaGev, its new ingredient that is a compound combining Bioenergy Ribose and a form of vitamin B3. RiaGev offers benefits for mitochondrial health, immune support and age-related cognitive health, and can be used in powdered mixes.

Sacramento, Calif.-based Blue Diamond Growers offered samples of almond protein powder smoothies.

Briess Malt & Ingredients, Chilton, Wis., highlighted its InnoSweet whole grain sweetener solution. InnoSweet is 100 percent pure sprouted whole grain powder.

Cargill, Minneapolis, showcased it plant-based SimPure starches. The SimPure 994 family is sourced from waxy corn and can appear on a label as starch or corn starch, depending on local requirements. As part of the Cargill Waxy Corn Promise program, waxy corn is 100 percent sustainably sourced, is part of the company’s strong partnership with farmers and co-op suppliers, and is verified by the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative Platform (SAI).

Milwaukee-based CHR. Hansen Inc. provides samples of a watermelon slush beverage, which featured its FruitMax Red 107 colorant. The award-winning innovation is approved for clouded beverages; however, the company is working on stability in clear beverage systems, it says.

Anaheim, Calif.-based colorMaker Inc. promoted is natural color solutions for beverage applications.

Atlanta-based CP Kelco promoted its Nutrava Citrus Fiber, which can be used for suspension solutions in beverage applications.

Diana Food, Hasbrouck Heights, N.J., highlighted its organic colors portfolio, which are certified USDA organic and are single-source colors.

Cartersville, Ga.-based Döehler North America promoted its botanicals, teas, extracts, essences and natural color solutions at the show. The company featured prototypes of oatmilk drinks, kombucha and juices. At its hydration station, the company showcased examples of label differences between essence waters, infused waters, waters featuring extracts and waters blended with juice.

DSM, Parsippany, N.J., highlighted new insights about trends emerging from three consumer groups: healthy agers, proactive adults and super kids.

Lincoln, R.I.-based Finlays USA offered a menu of mocktails made from their portfolio of tea extracts, coffee extracts and tea essences. Prototypes available were a cucumber melon green tea spritz, mudslide, peppered old-fashioned, bee’s knees, blackberry black tea bramble, lemongrass mule and honeysuckle coffee lemonade.

Flavorchem Corp., Downers Grove, Ill., featured a prototype of a mango hibiscus tea featuring its black tea extracts.

Teterboro, N.J.-based Food Ingredient Solutions highlighted is natural color solutions for the beverage market.

Momence, Ill.-based FutureCeuticals featured a prototype of a green’s drink mix containing quinoaTrim, which also operates as a hydrocolloid in beverage formulations. The company also promoted its TruServ program, which provides a variety of fruit and vegetable powders that deliver whole food nutrition.

GEA United States, Columbia, Md., promoted its portfolio of processing equipment including spray dryers, homogenizers, separators, flow components and pumps.

Glanbia Nutritionals, Carlsbad, Calif., highlighted its portfolio for the food and beverage spaces. The company featured prototypes of a milk chocolate UHT beverage with OptiSol 1007, a concentrated whey protein, and a keto shake featuring OptiSol 1007.

Tarrytown, N.Y.-based GNT USA offered samples of craft soda mocktails featuring its Exberry natural color solutions. The mocktails available were a peach soco, citrus absinthe and blueberry gin.

Gold Coast Ingredients Inc. (GCI), Commerce, Calif., promoted its portfolio of flavor and color solutions. GCI supplies custom, QAI Certified Organic, ISA Certified Halal, OU Certified or KOF-K Certified Kosher flavors upon request.

Portland, Ore.-based Icon Foods promoted its Erysweet erythritol and Erysweet100 sweetener solutions.

Waldo, Maine-based Ingredient Solutions Inc. highlighted its portfolio of hydrocolloids.

Ingredion, Westchester, Ill., with its wholly owned subsidiaries Kerr Concentrates and TIC Gums, showcased a range of ingredient solutions at the show. Within the beverage sector, the company featured a prototype of a red raspberry mocktail with pressed NFC juice; a mocha ready-to-drink (RTD) beverage, which was fortified with Ticaloid PRO 122 RD to stabilize the coffee beverage; and a blackberry mint cocktail base, a 50 percent reduced sugar drink as it containing its stevia solution BESTEVIA Reb M.

Innophos, Cranbury, N.J., promoted Textur-Melt LM89, which provides stability for protein beverages.

Beloit, Wis.-based Kerry featured a cucumber lime prototype with its ProDiem ingredient and a beverage fortified with its Wellmune immune-boosting solution.

New York-based Kyowa Hakko promoted its Cognizin citicoline for brain health, Sustamine amino acid for performance, Setria glutathione for immune system support, and IMMUSE dietary supplement for immunity.

Newport Beach, Calif.-based Layn USA Inc. offered samples of a vegan pea protein shake, featuring green coffee bean extract; a refreshing energy beverage, which contained green tea and B vitamins; a fruit of the forest anxiety relief drink, containing cannabidiol (CBD) and rhodiola extracts; and an anti-inflammatory beverage, featuring CBD and kola extracts.

PAT Vitamins, La Verne, Calif., promoted its portfolio of vitamins and amino acids. In the past year, the company also has added probiotic offerings to its portfolio.

PLT Health Solutions, Morristown, N.J., promoted its Artesa chickpea protein, a plant-protein concentrate.

Carol Stream, Ill.-based Prinova USA offered a relaxation beverage featuring elderberry white tea, a vitamin premix, as well as natural flavors and colors. The NeuroBloom beverage featured a brain enhancement premix in a guava kiwi flavor. The sustained energy beverage in an orange pineapple mango variety featured natural sweeteners and colors as well as custom premix.

Prova Inc., Danvers, Mass., featured prototypes of a RTD iced coffee latte and chocolate hemp milk.

PureCircle USA Inc., Oak Brook, Ill., featured four prototypes: a lemon lime drink that only was sweetened with stevia; a strawberry watermelon soft drink that contained a 50 percent sugar and 50 percent stevia blend; a mocha iced coffee, which only was sweetened with stevia; and lemon iced tea, featuring a 50-50 stevia and sugar blend.

Concord, N.C.-based S&D Coffee & Tea offered a range of coffee and tea beverages featuring its coffee, tea and extract products. Prototypes included cold-brew coffee, nitro cold-brew coffee, iced coffee, yerba mate tea, hibiscus tea and more.

Skokie, Ill.-based Sethness Roquette rolled out the soft launch of its new name and branding. The new name follows the acquisition of Sethness by Roquette.

Sweegen Corp., Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., promoted Bestevia e+, a stevia solution created for sugar reduction in beverages.

Solvay, Princeton, N.J., promoted Vanifolia, its new vanilla bean extract replacement. The company showcased how the ingredient can be used to mask offnotes in RTD pea protein beverages.

Sweet Green Fields (SGF), Bellingham, Wash., featured a prototype of an apple cranberry juice that was a 20 percent sugar reduced beverage, featuring SGF Zolesse.

Wauconda, Ill.-based Synergy highlighted timeless tastes at the show, which focused on the evolution of food and beverage. The past station featured a prototype of a vanilla caramel cold-brew coffee as well as a molasses ginger switchel. The present station showcased Synergy Pure, the company’s water-soluble hop essences as part of a hibiscus sparkling water. At the future station, attendees could participate in a survey to determine what type of consumer they were.

Philadelphia-based Tastepoint by IFF offered samples of a blackberry juniper green tea which featured POWDERPURE from the IFF family combined with Tastepoint natural sweetener modulators. The company also featured a prototype of a Tahini milk, a sesame milk in a dirty chai flavor with natural modulation flavors.

Tate & Lyle, Decatur, Ill., offered a prototype of an almond milk coffee latte featuring Dolcia Prima allulose, a low-calorie sweetening solution. The company expressed excitement of the recent FDA decision that when allulose is used in products, it can be excluded from the total and added sugars declaration on Nutrition Facts and Supplement Facts labels.

Virginia Dare, Brooklyn, N.Y., showcased its Taste Foundations and Taste Collaborations product lines at the show. The company featured prototypes of a cold-brew oatmilk latte and a black tea oatmilk latte. The cold brew was offered in cinnamon vanilla and cardamom mocha, while the black beverages were available in vanilla lavender and London Fog-inspired recipes.

The Wright Group, Lafayette, La., promoted its custom premixes, granulation and micro-encapsulation capabilities. The company also featured prototypes of its premixes with chocolate and strawberry nutritional beverages.

IFT will welcome exhibitors and attendees to the 2020 tradeshow, which will take place July 12-15 at McCormick Place in Chicago. BI