As many are preparing for the upcoming long weekend, many stay-cationers will be stocking up on grilling favorites like hot dogs, burgers and beer. The readers of Beverage Industry also must have had their mind on beer during the Readers’ Choice New Product of the Month poll for April.
It’s no secret that consumers are demanding more from their food and beverages. More and more beverage-makers are answering this call by developing new products that blur category lines. Although these hybrid drinks are fulfilling the functional and refreshment needs of consumers, research from Mintel sheds light on what might be next for these emerging beverage options.
Chef Roger Mooking loves giving traditional dishes an exotic twist on his Food Network Canada TV show “Everyday Exotic.” Consumers’ desire for exotic flavors also has helped push tropical fruits into mainstream beverage formulations. Yet, ingredient suppliers note that the growing demand for exotic fruits also taps into broader, mainstream trends.
Whether it’s social media platforms, mobile pay apps or an increasing acceptance of RFID chips in humans, technology has transformed everyday life for consumers.
After three days and more than 46,000 steps logged on my pedometer, it’s safe to say that I saw my fair share of natural and organic products at Natural Products Expo West (page 14), which took place last month.
As physicist Albert Einstein once said: “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” As today’s American consumers look to keep moving, they are turning to various forms of energy-inducing foods and beverages. However, in the spirit of Einstein’s quote, consumers also are in search of more balanced energy resources.
Although ginger is a perennial that produces narrow green leaves and yellow flowers, the plant has gained more recognition for its root. The ingredient found favor as a spice, however, its association with medicinal characteristics has helped proliferate its usage, according to experts.
Carbonated soft drinks (CSDs) have long been the top seller in the U.S. beverage market based on volume. Last month, however, New York-based Beverage Marketing Corporation (BMC) announced that U.S. volume sales of bottled water eclipsed CSDs in 2016, making it the No. 1 consumed packaged beverage. This shift followed more than a decade’s worth of single-digit volume declines for soft drinks.