According to Mintel’s 2023 US Energy Drinks report, total energy drink and energy shot sales increased by 14% from 2021 to 2022.

With the recent surge in attention to immunity, American consumers are now thinking of preventive health less in terms of reaching for “immune boosting” supplements and more about “immune resilience.” Incorporating botanicals into food products can aid significantly in maintaining the many and complex facets of immunity.

Watch or listen to a Prepared Foods interview with ethnobotanist and contributing editor Kerry Hughes discussing the trending foods, beverages, and ingredients using botanicals featured at 2024 Natural Products Expo West.

Since its inception, Armored Fresh has been committed to breaking the stereotype that plant-based cheese is a bland, unsatisfactory solution made only for vegans. 

Prepared Foods highlights a few examples of how the evolution in protein applications is extending across food and beverage categories.

TAHA will now provide consumers with nutritional supplements that are certified Net Carbon Zero and made with clinically researched functional ingredients.

The competition invited university students across the United States to develop unique snack products highlighting the nutritional and functional benefits of eggs, aligning with today’s consumer preferences for new and exciting snack options. 

Upshoot's Phytopúr products are made of wholesome fruits and vegetables from trusted farms, and are supported by sound science, patented technology, and rigorous quality standards.

The products bolster the 2020 SlimFast Keto lineup to 21 total products including ready-to-drink meal replacement shakes, meal replacement bars, snacks, and shake mixes delivering convenience and ease to men and women following the Keto diet.  

Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc., the agricultural cooperative owned by more than 700 farmer families, and Canomiks, a startup technology company transforming the functional food and beverage industry, announced research leveraging Canomiks' A.I. based technology platform to test and certify the biological efficacy of the cranberry. 

Florida Food Products’ expanded health and wellness portfolio includes its natural L-theanine. Derived from the leaves of green tea, L-theanine is an amino acid associated with multiple health benefits, from improved focus and sleep1 to decreased blood pressure and promoted relaxation. FFP’s natural L-theanine is an ideal ingredient solution for a wide range of health and wellness applications including beverages, foods, supplements, nutraceuticals, and more.

The new plant will be located adjacent to the company's existing Atchison, Kan., plant. Once online in late 2023, the new extrusion plant is expected to produce up to 10 million pounds of ProTerra per year.

ADM announced it will invest to significantly expand starch production at its Marshall, Minn., facility in order to meet fast-growing demand from the food and beverage sectors, and to support the continued expansion of the company’s BioSolutions platform.

Sourced from AKFP’s Asian production partner, native waxy tapioca starch is a gluten-free, clean-label, non-GMO ingredient high in amylopectin, that possesses a unique combination of functionalities which make it an effective stabilizer, thickener, and emulsifier.

Moonstone Nutrition, a Pittsburgh-based startup that has developed products to prevent kidney stone formation and promote overall kidney health, announced receipt of an investment from the Accelerator Fund II, LLC., an organization sponsored and managed by the Pittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse that makes early stage investments in life sciences companies located in western Pennsylvania and outside the region.  

Florida Food Products (FFP), a leading innovator, formulator and producer of vegetable and fruit-based clean label ingredient solutions, is launching a plant-based antioxidant, VegStable® Fresh during the International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) in Atlanta, January 25-27, 2022. 

Walnuts are a versatile ingredient with applications throughout food and beverage categories, ranging from plant-based meat alternatives to snack bars. Recent developments in health, food science and flavor research have caused product developers around the world to examine how walnuts can be used in new product formulations.

Visitors to booth #BC9419 can sample several prototypes, including a delicious hot dog bite that features FFP’s performance and protection ingredient solutions, showcasing how easily they can achieve a fully clean label with maximum protection, and better texture and flavor.

IFT23 attendees are invited to visit booth #S0400 and “Taste the trend”™ with a sampling menu that includes various clean label concepts created for the show. FFP is committed to providing innovative clean label solutions and offers a portfolio of solutions that naturally provide exceptional food protection, flavor, color, and texture for a variety of applications.

"We hear from parents they want more plant-based protein options that align with their food and climate values," said Gerber President and CEO Tarun Malkani. "Gerber Plant-tastic offers stage-based nutrition across milestones starting with organic toddler pouches, snacks and meals."

American Key Food Products (AKFP) is expanding its gluten-free cassava flour line. Cassava is a root vegetable that is naturally gluten-free and native to tropical climates in South America and Asia. It is milled into bakery-quality flour by AKFP’s partner companies through sophisticated processes. 

The first phase consisted of renovating approximately 20,000sq-ft of the plant to double its current capacity to produce Minute® ready-to-serve rice cups.

With all-natural ingredients like rooibos, hibiscus, monk fruit, and lemon, Rebellious Infusions' Caffeine-Free products are free of sugar, calories, artificial colorings, flavors, sweeteners, and fillers.

Horizon Organic® expanded its Growing Years™ line with the introduction of lowfat yogurt pouches, cultured dairy smoothies, reduced-fat milk half gallons, and single-serve whole milk boxes, available at grocery retailers nationwide.

Pharmactive Biotech Products, S.L.U., launches Liboost®, a novel botanical extract of Damiana (Turnera diffusa), as the first formulation to help enhance sexual function in both men and women. Its sexual performance boosting capabilities have been confirmed in a consumer study conducted by the company yielding impressive results. 

Omya has rebuilt and expanded its calcium carbonate production plant in Orgon, France, creating a substantially higher capacity for its functionalized calcium carbonate product platform, a new packaging line and an on-site warehouse. The modern facility produces the company’s mineral grades for food, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and cosmetic applications in accordance with the most stringent sustainability and quality standards.

Premixes range from the mandated vitamins and minerals for addressing nutrient shortfalls to trendy ingredients like turmeric, ginger, activated charcoal, collagen, and botanical bioactives that consumers believe are healthier for them.

In the Summer of 2023, the company brought its newest manufacturing capabilities online with considerably increased capacity and new technology including a heavy suspension skid, enabling market-leading loads of active ingredients within a gummy, and increased capacity for their unique honey gummies.

This 28,000sq-ft expansion represents an $8.5 million investment to scale up Flavorman’s state-of-the-art “Beverage Campus” and facilitate its rapid growth in the beverage industry.

The innovations for retail and foodservice customers include Carrot Shakers, Side Dish Sizzlers, and Soup n' Stewin' Carrots. Beyond offering healthy school lunch options, Bolthouse Fresh products create new possibilities for holiday season entertaining.

Florida Food Products (FFP), a leader in clean label food and beverage ingredient solutions, is exhibiting at SupplySide West 2023 (SSW23) in Las Vegas, October 25–26, 2023. FFP is helping inspire SSW attendees to create the next generation of health and wellness products with a menu of great-tasting concepts. 

A Prepared Foods infographic highlighting 2024 trends in Natural & Organic seen at Natural Products Expo West.

If 2020 was the year of supply chain uncertainty due to COVID-19, 2021 may well be the year that transparency in food labeling takes center stage, particularly for gluten-free products.

Although there may be a pandemic-related slowdown, there’s no stopping new product development activity. To better help its readers with initial new product evaluation and development Prepared Foods asked Nancy Jo Seaton, owner and president of Seaton Food Consultants, to create a thought leadership series. Seaton has more than 30 years of food industry experience and most recently led global product evaluation for the Subway restaurants. She also has worked for such global food brands as Chiquita, Unilever and ConAgra.

Silicon Valley-based cellular agriculture company Mission Barns announced a $24M Series A to scale up its cultivated fat technology and build a pilot manufacturing plant in the Bay Area.

Although there may be a pandemic-related slowdown, there’s no stopping new product development. To help readers with new product development strategy, Prepared Foods asked Dave Lundahl, founder of InsightsNow, to create a thought leadership series connecting R&D with consumer insights. 

his collaboration will drive advancements in bioreactor technology, perfusion systems, and media rejuvenation while reducing environmental impact through optimized water usage, power consumption, and circular economy initiatives like waste stream utilization.

Physically active consumers want convenient, protein-packed options to fit into their on-the-go routine. “Plant-powered” ready-to-drink (RTD) and ready-to-mix (RTM) protein beverages are emerging as a perfect solution to fill this niche nutrition category and grow into the mainstream market.

“We were so honored to be invited to the Fancy Food Show this year. It is a great way for our students to see how broad the food industry is and understand the impact of the work we do at the lab,” said Drexel Food Lab Associate Director Chef Rachel Sherman. “I find it encouraging to see what products and trends jump out to them."

The 169,000sq-ft facility is an expansion of Ferrero's existing manufacturing campus in Bloomington. CRUNCH, 100 Grand, Raisinets, and other chocolate products are made at the campus, and it is also now home to the company's first-ever chocolate factory outside of Europe. 

“Truffle is a beloved flavor that provides decadent luxury; combining with our rich and bold White Cheddar delivers the best of both worlds,” said Amanda Vaal, brand director at Cracker Barrel Cheese. “Dill also continues to be high in demand, delivering a sharp and savory twist to a snacking classic.”

Students Anandu Chandra Khanashyam, Abrielle Schnurr, Nghi Huynh and Suchismita Roy are studying food science and earned the first-place prize of $10,000. 

This fall saw Chocolove, Boulder, Colo., return with seasonal favorites, Tree-Shaped Bites, as well as holiday collection bars. Chocolove holiday collection bars include Candy Cane Crunch in Dark Chocolate, Frosted Gingerbread in Milk Chocolate, and a Fruit-Nut Medley in Dark Chocolate. 

Laird Superfood products contain only clean ingredients with no artificial (or “natural”) flavors, colors, syrups, refined sugars, or additives.

By acknowledging the feelings of isolation and frustrations that many experience, Atkins Way offers a better way, providing freedom from a lifetime of dieting through a joyful approach to eating, says the brand. 

In the formulation of reduced sugar food and beverage products, ingredient trends are shifting towards clean label, natural alternatives that provide sweetness without compromising taste or texture.

Prepared Foods gets the inside scoop on foodservice new product development in an interview with Michael S. Zeller, Senior Corporate Executive Chef, R&D, at Simplot Food Group.

Temperature is that one measurement that’s dictated by governmental regulations to prove that you have a kill step in your process. Beyond that, there are rules for keeping fresh food under a certain temperature to keep it safe both in transit and storage, and—just as important—maintain its quality so you don’t have to throw it out prematurely.

This year’s contest theme aligns with checkoff-led insights that show consumers are seeking dairy products that deliver health-related benefits.