The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), a nonprofit scientific organization committed to advancing the science of food and its application across the global food system, concluded IFT FIRST: Annual Event and Expo, the food science, technology, and innovation event, which took place July 14-17, 2024, at McCormick Place in Chicago. 

The expo floor featured more than 1,000 exhibitors from across the food system sharing the latest in ingredients, equipment, processing, technology, safety, R&D, and packaging solutions. Leading companies from around the world also shared their latest introductions in key startup and food innovation pavilions surrounding the expo floor. 

The following is beverage highlights from some of those exhibitors: 

AIDP featured a coffee station with coffee formulated with Magtein, a magnesium L-threonate, designed to support cognitive health. 

Applied Food Sciences (AFS) highlighted its AmaTea Max Organic Guayusa Extract. At the show, the company featured prototypes of a peach tea, honey lemon tea and blueberry tea, which all contained AmaTea Max. 

BENEO promoted its prebiotic fibers, which affect metabolism and reduce calorie intake while contributing to a healthy gut microbiota, and increasing the absorption of calcium for bone health, it says. Its Palatinose is a slow-release carb that provides balanced blood glucose levels and is clinically proven to stimulate the release of GLP-1, naturally, it notes. 

Cargill featured prototypes of a strawberry dragon fruit pea protein smoothie as well as a fruit punch flavored hydration beverage. Experts also spoke to the company’s TrendTracker 2024 insights, which identified four key macro trends: Healthy for me, Conscious consumption, Experience it, and Simplify my life. Within Healthy for me, Cargill highlights consumers’ interest in mindful eating, seeking goodness, plants and beyond, as well as eating to live. Attributes in Conscious consumption include value accelerated and sustainability extended. For Experience it, Cargill highlights indulgent experiences as well as multiple senses and novel experiences. Within Simplify my life, the company notes the ins and outs of eating as well as using technology to find efficiencies and elevating recipes. 

Gold Coast Ingredients (GCI) featured prototypes at the show. Available on the first expo floor day were a pineapple black pepper flavored lemon water and a calamansi ginger flavored lemon water. 

Givaudan featured a summer berry elixir prototype, containing Amazie orange red. 

GNT USA LLC promoted EXBERRY by GNT, a leading brand of natural, plant-based colors for the food and beverage industry. The company featured a rainbow snack bar featuring EXBERRY plant-based shades. 

Hilmar featured a prototype of a pineapple flavored clear protein beverage, which contained Hilmar 9020 whey protein isolate. The prototype features 15 grams of protein in a 330-ml serving. 

Icon Foods Inc. promoted its clean label sugar reduction tool kit, which showcases its portfolio of sweeteners such as monk fruit, allulose, erythritol, stevia, prebiotic fibers and ThauSweet, a powdered blend of erythritol, thaumatin and stevia. 

Ingredion featured prototypes of a pancake flavored plant-based milk with blueberry boba and a zero sugar lemongrass chamomile beverage. 

Kyowa Hakko USA promoted its flagship branded ingredients: Cognizin and IMMUSE. The company shared that IMMUSE, its immune health ingredient, has achieved Non-GMO Project Verified status as of June. Additionally, Cognizin, Kyowa Hakko’s form of citicoline, recently has been launched in several exciting new formats. The brand new Smart Chocolate from InfiniWell features Cognizin to support overall cognitive function. Focus Buddies L’OLLY Pops from Olly also recently hit the market, providing a convenient and tasty way to support focused attention. Cognizin has also been included in new product launches by other well-known brands, like Goli’s Matcha Mind and has even gone to space in Astreas Ultra chocolate supplements, it shared. 

PLT Health Solutions Inc. highlighted its growing portfolio of beverage-friendly ingredients that provide a broad range of science-backed benefits for the functional beverage market. PLT focused on three major health and wellness segments: energy, active nutrition and stress/mood management. For energy, PLT offers stimulant and non-stim energy ingredients with its zumXR Targeted Release Caffeine and Zynamite – through its recently introduced Zynamite S format. As part of its Sports/Active Nutrition portfolio, ingredients highlighted were MegaNatual-BP grape seed extract for enhanced blood flow and endurance, RipFACTOR Muscle Accelerator with extensive clinical science demonstrating improved muscle strength and endurance and finally Slendacor Weight Management Complex, that offers non-stimulant calorie burning and weight loss. For the stress/mood and cognitive health category, PLT showcased Rhodiolife Rhodiola rosea and Zembrin Sceletium tortuosum. 

Prinova featured a collection of prototypes at the show. For beverages, the company offered a salted watermelon Margarita flavored hydration beverage, a red cola soda flavored float, a melon cream soda flavored float, and a Mexican hot chocolate flavored plant protein beverage. 

Sethness Roquette highlighted its liquid and powder caramel colors, which are available in a wide range of strengths and hues to achieve colors from light yellows to deep browns. 

Sweegen highlighted its Tastecode Natural Flavors for Taste Modulation, Sweetensify Flavors for Taste Modulation with Sweet Protein Brazzein, Nature-Based Signature Sweetener Systems, Sensegen’s Bio-Based Flavors, and more. The company also offered a collection of prototypes at the show. Among them were a sweet protein joubli, no sugar added peach mango sweet iced tea; lavender haze, a reduced sugar lemonade; rest & restore, a no added sugar raspberry rose mocktail, mystical mirage, a no sugar added sugar energy elixir; lazerfocus, a no added sugar lychee mental clarity boost; and hydration oasis, a no added sugar yuzu hydration elevation drink. 

Tate & Lyle featured a dragon fruit and kiwi prototype prebiotic beverage, which contained Promitor fiber, allulose and stevia Reb M. 

Virginia Dare featured a collection of prototypes at the show. Among them was a calamansi green tea electrolyte hydration beverage, a ready-to-drink hydration beverage made with electrolytes, green tea extract, green tea powder, and a natural calamansi citrus flavor; a huckleberry bramble sparkling ginless cocktail, a zero proof ready-to-drink made from blackberry and lemon juice with natural huckleberry, Meyer lemon and gin flavors; and speculous cookie cognitive cold brew latte, featuring Cognizin citicoline, cold brew coffee, oatmilk and natural cookie type flavors. 

IFT First will return July 13-16, 2025, at McCormick Place in Chicago.