1. Famous Soda is an innovative soda brand. How did you come up with the idea of creating Famous Soda?

We thought everyone should be able to enjoy a great soda without the nastiest, so we set out to change the world a little bit for the better. It took us two years in R&D to get it right, but I’m here to tell you we cracked it, Famous Sodas are wild, just sodalicious!

2. Let’s be honest! There are a lot of different soda brands in the market. What competitive advantages does Famous Soda have when comparing it to similar products?

Your right, here’s the thing, unlike the majority of our competitors we don’t use any chemicals or caffeine, our sodas are 100% natural. Our sweetener is derived from fruit, in fact it’s our secret weapon, as well as the highest grade of Stevia, which of course is a plant and natural as well. The stats are in, Australia has a Diabetes and Obesity crisis, of which 45% has been attributed to sugary drinks. We saw it as high time to do something right, time to disrupt the Soda Industry and change the world a little bit for the better. we have got a crisis and so we all have a responsibility to work at solving it.

3. Beverage development is a tough process with many ups and downs. What kind of difficulties you have faced?

Hmmm you got that right! Although I think sometimes it is good to jump into something you’re passionate about, we honestly believe problems are just wake up calls for creativity. One of the biggest issues for us was the stabilization and shelf life for the sodas.

I mean how do you preserve a Soda with no preservatives, right? (time to get creative) We tried tons of different methods, finally with the help of our biochemist, we hit upon pasteurization, (tried but true) which was a success. We tweaked flavours, carbonation levels and the like until we got the result we were looking for. A mid level carbonated, full flavoured, good for you soda that’s sodalicious and even though we weren’t focused on the calorie side of things so much, we managed to wrap these little babies up with only 8 calories to a bottle, so, good for the waste line as well!

4. Famous Soda is a beverage line with three different flavors. How did you manage to create great taste without any sugar added? Which flavor is your favorite?

Well like I mentioned earlier, it’s our secret weapon. That’s a tough question, honestly, every time I have a Famous Soda I change my mind and decide the particular flavour I’m drinking is my favourite,

For instance, I have never been a Ginger Beer fan, in fact I didn’t like it at all, I know this sounds kind of biased, but I love love our Ginger Beer.

Actually, I noticed one of our Fashion Bloggers just the other day (who has about 700K followers), posted – “This has gotta be the best Ginger Beer I’ve ever tasted”. But if I had a gun to my head and had to choose, just one, I would probably say Blood Orange by a nose!

That said, watch this space we’re just gearing up to launch, Famous Pink Lemonade (which needless to say has been taste tested by hundreds of the ladies) and I think it could just take the lead, if the reaction we have been getting so far is anything to go by. Orders for 100’s of cases for Girl Baby Showers, Weddings and Girls Hens Nights…we didn’t see that coming, haha!

5. Our readers are well familiar with the US and Europe markets. However, Australia is still a mystery to us. In your opinion, what Australia based consumers are looking in beverage products?

Well given the crisis I mentioned earlier, Australians are really becoming aware of how much sugar is in the majority of their everyday staple products, even light milk is loaded with sugar (who knew) and their not happy! On the whole we’re a fairly healthy bunch, or would like to think we are, you know we have beautiful beaches, blue skies, not much pollution, amazing weather, so we live outdoors for the best part of the year, which generally leads to an active society.

However the flip side of that is we have this (sugar crisis) which is wreaking havoc on our kids, everyone really! But if I’m any judge of my fellow Australians I don’t think it will be long before sugar loaded products will be a thing of the past. We already have major retailers in Australia taking all drinks that contain sugar off the shelves, this very week, the ball has started rolling, the momentum is building!

6. Famous Soda is made in Australia. Is it available to purchase your products outside the country?

Currently we are only available in Australia, however we have been getting a lot of International interest, Japan, Singapore, India as well as the United States, so I don’t think it will be long before this little Aussie Brand goes global.

7. Half population of Australian kids are overweight or obese, according to brochure you have sent to me. Does government takes any similar actions like sugar tax in the UK?

That’s an interesting question, it’s on the agenda and a lot of noise is being made about it as we speak. Currently we don’t have a sugar tax and we can only ponder why that is? However I believe with the momentum building, the powers to be won’t be able to hold out for to long!

8. What advice would you have given yourself before you started out in the beverage business?

Well honestly, it doesn’t get much better than working on something we love and changing the world (or the industry) a little bit for the better, I mean how cool is that for a job?

For more information visit Famous Soda Co. website.

A recent Organic Trade Association survey found that millennial parents are currently the largest segment of organic shoppers in the U.S. With 80 percent of the generation expected to become parents in the next 10 to 15 years, organic product offerings are likely to grow as more millennials look for clean options for kids. Now, when parents reach for organic food and beverages at the grocery store, they can continue to choose favorite childhood brands like Juicy Juice.

“As a brand committed to delivering products parents can feel good about and kids love, we are excited to offer families a wider array of organic juice beverage options,” said Ilene Bergenfeld, chief marketing officer of Harvest Hill Beverage Company. “These Juicy Juice organic products are available at a great value where parents already shop, making better-for-you beverages more accessible for all families.”

Now USDA-certified organic, Juicy Juice Splashers Organic is a refreshing blend of organic fruit juice and filtered water, with 50 percent less sugar than the leading juice.1 Available at major grocery retailers nationwide in three fruity flavors — Fruit Punch, Berry Lemonade and Tropical Twist — Juicy Juice Splashers Organic provides 100 percent Vitamin C in every six-ounce, single-serve pouch.

Like all Juicy Juice products, the brand’s organic lines contain no high fructose corn syrup and no artificial sweeteners, delivering big flavors without any unwanted ingredients. The sweetness comes straight from the fruit.

Served in 6.75-ounce eight-packs in four kid-favorite flavors — Apple Quench, Berry Cherry Burst, Orange Strawbana Blast and Punch Splash — Juicy Juice Fruitifuls Organics contains 35 percent less sugar than the leading juice2 and a half cup of fruit in every juice box. Additionally, Juicy Juice Organics 100% Juice, which comes in single-serve and multi-serve formats in Apple and Fruit Punch, is filled with delicious flavor and a great source of Vitamin C.

Source: Juicy Juice

For the past five years, we can see dozens of influencers online who are sweating in the gym to form a so-called perfect body. These influencers and bloggers are spreading the trend of the body cult all around the globe. Everyone wants to reach visible results as fast as possible. This can be done with the help of functional products. A sports drink with branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) or essential amino acids (EAAs) can help an athlete get results much faster or a protein drink can help them grow muscles faster.

It is well known that amino acids are the main ingredient in muscles. They play very specific key roles in health and performance in human physiology and help athletes not only retain muscle but also burn fat.  Proteins are made up of both essential and non-essential amino acids that can be used by the body for a plethora of benefits. Some of these key benefits, besides muscle building, include improved mineral absorption and improved focus during exercise. The body must break the protein down into these free-form amino acids in order for them to function. Consuming amino acids in their free form is beneficial since these amino acids can address their function almost immediately.

Branched-chain amino acids include the essential amino acids leucine, isoleucine, and valine. They are very popular among strength athletes, yet there is strong evidence validating their use for endurance training and racing as well. Numerous research studies have shown these three key amino acids to be extremely important to consume, especially during dieting and exercising. The human body cannot make essential amino acids. As a result, they must come from food. The nine essential amino acids are histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine. Having EAAs in a drink helps an athlete to consume the necessary amount of these essential functional ingredients in order to enable faster muscle formation and to achieve higher endurance.

Sugar content is a very hot topic all over the globe

The only negative aspect of these functional ingredients is that combinations containing the EAAs have a very strong and specific aftertaste. There are ways to overcome this problem using a sweetener. Usually, sports drinks are supposed to have as few kcal as possible, so artificial sweeteners are the best option to provide a strong and sweet taste, which could also help to cover up the unpleasant aftertaste.

Protein-based beverages are another very popular type of drink among athletes. One of the most popular protein sources is whey protein. It is thought to be the best form of protein for the body to digest and use. Whey protein is rich in glutamine and BCAAs. Protein itself has a specific taste and has a tendency to form a dry feeling in the mouth, so the sweeter the final drink is, the more pleasant its taste is. However, those who are consuming such beverages are very much into calculating the Kcal. Therefore, there are two ways to go: into artificial sweeteners or into working with more Kcal and natural sweeteners such as stevia or deionized grape juice concentrate. Therefore, at the end of the day, the consumer has to make a decision on the more preferred product – the one with natural sweeteners or the one with less Kcal.

As an alternative to dairy-based protein, we notice more products being launched based on plant proteins, such as soy, oat or rice. The plant-based protein trend is based not only on the popularity of veganism but is also due to the growing number of consumers who are lactose intolerant. Plant protein-based products are mainly called meal replacements, because of their thicker consistency and ability to fight hunger due to high fiber content. A few years ago these beverages were mainly marketed in powder form. However, these days leading brands are creating more consumer-friendly liquid products with a single serving per bottle. This is obviously more comfortable for people in the offices who have the ability to self-prepare a drink using a powder base.

Sugar content is a very hot topic all over the globe, as the world is trying to fight obesity and diabetes with applications of sugar tax on certain products. This trend leads to less sweet beverage categories, such as naturally brewed tea or adult soft drinks.

Naturally brewed tea is becoming a solution for less sweet beverages as consumers are already used to the unsweetened tea made at home, so this is a less shocking experience for soft drink lovers. Tasting an unsweetened or slightly sweetened tea product, you can match the already familiar taste in your previous experience, which does not form negative emotions about the certain product. What’s more,  brewing tea naturally leaves the taste of the final product naturally sweeter in comparison with a drink made using tea extracts. In terms of tea types, we can notice the tendency of very generic tea types: green tea and black; however, more people are starting to look for something unique like Yerba Mate, Guayusa or Hibiscus tea.

Adult soft drinks are one more category for less sweet beverage types. The function of these beverages is to substitute for an alcoholic drink. In order to be able to consume it during the whole evening, it has to be not too sweet, so it will be not too difficult to drink more than one serving and it has to be catchy so you would want to drink more of it. Usually such drinks contain something a surprising and unique flavour, for example, spicy ginger, chilli pepper, turmeric, cayenne pepper or a very specific herbal combination. Most of the time, these drinks are carbonated, refreshing and not too intense in terms of a taste profile.

Flavoured water has the most popular beverage across the globe – water – as its main ingredient. Therefore, the tendency of water fortification is growing. We can notice more brands appearing in global markets that are simply flavoured water. The addition of natural flavours to carbonated water – or even carbonated spring water – gives a nice hint of fruit, without any additional Kcal or sugar content. It’s a refreshing upgraded water solution.

Consumers are requiring more attention to be given to higher quality products, with natural and organic signs on the label. This is where craft sodas are taking over a niche in the beverage industry. The idea that small-batch processing provides high-quality refreshments is spot on with consumers. Small batch production and in-house craftsmanship draw on the pressures that push consumers toward organic and natural products. Consumers want organic and natural food options, not only at grocery stores but also at restaurants and from vending machines, too.  The main ingredients of craft sodas are juices not from concentrate, including fermented fruit juices or ginger juices, together with some herbal extracts or infusions.

For even stronger unique selling-point propositions, it would be just great to have organic raw materials along with natural sweeteners, flavourings and even acidifiers. An interesting ingredient to mention for this type of beverage is fermented fruit juices. These would give not only fruit content for your beverage but also would provide a very specific taste as well as the natural benefits of fermented products, such as beneficial healthy bacteria that promote gut health and beneficial enzymes.

Overall tendencies from season to season are very slow moving. Well-known products with just slight modifications are making a great influence on beverage categories which have been on the market for ages. Who would have thought that there was still room for upgraded versions of iced tea or lemonade? Sometimes the idea that leads to the most success may look and sound super simple, but a small adjustment can build a massive empire.

Original article was published in Beverage Industry Blog.

Rebaudioside D (Reb D) and Rebaudioside M (Reb M) are steviol glycosides found in the stevia leaf that can be used as sweeteners in food and beverage applications. Unique patented processes that start with the stevia leaf enabled SweeGen to introduce BESTEVIA Reb M and now BESTEVIA Reb D to the beverage and food industries as alternatives to sugar and artificial sweeteners.

In February 2017, SweeGen successfully commercialized BESTEVIA Reb M, the company’s first FDA GRAS approved stevia leaf sweetener.  BESTEVIA Reb M has been well received by major food and beverage companies in the US, Europe and Asia. The BESTEVIA Reb D GRAS self-affirmation was completed in June this year and was immediately submitted to the FDA for review.

Steven Chen, the company’s CEO, commented, “Our growing sweetener platform offers our industry partners an expanding choice to replace caloric and artificial sweeteners in consumer products. SweeGen’s sweetener portfolio offers great-tasting, non-caloric and nature-based alternatives for the global consumer.”  He added, “The introduction of BESTEVIA Reb D represents yet another strong achievement for SweeGen in the natural sweetener market.”

“We can now offer an additional option for sugar reduction without compromising taste,” said Oscar Gutierrez, senior global director, sweetness innovation, Ingredion. “We are excited to expand our stevia portfolio to meet customers’ sugar reduction needs.”

Ingredion is SweeGen’s distribution partner for both Reb M and Reb D, excluding the People’s Republic of China and SweeGen’s House Accounts. This collaboration enables both companies to benefit from each other’s strengths and to attract a diverse mix of food and beverage companies world-wide.

Source: SweeGen, Inc.

Founder and CEO Kim Johnston says, “I grew up with cordial in Australia and was shocked when I arrived in the U.S.A. in 2006, to discover that no one had ever heard of it! I was going to import the Australian cordial, but I wasn’t happy with the unhealthy ingredient choices. So I decided to create my own healthy formula. I am super excited to release this outstanding product in the U.S.A. Aussie Cordial does not promote tooth decay, nor does it affect blood glucose, making it a really good choice for pre-diabetics and diabetics.”

Aussie Cordial is firmly committed to its corporate responsibilities regarding the environment. As well as the health and taste benefits, Aussie Cordial, being a concentrate (mixed with a 1:9 ratio with water) is nine times more environmentally responsible in comparative manufacturing, packaging and transport impact than standard soda drinks.  Each bottle provides over 100 servings, making it also far more economical than sodas.

Aussie Cordial will be giving away FIVE huge family holidays in a “Willy Wonka”-style giveaway planned in their first year, with one all-expenses family holiday to Australia and another four mystery trips yet to be confirmed.

Aussie Cordial has no added sugar, no artificial color or flavor and no calories; it is a concentrate that is mixed in a 1 part cordial, 9 parts water combination. It comes in eight new flavors – Apple & Black Currant, Green Apple, Raspberry, Lemon, Watermelon, Blueberry, Kiwi and Orange/Passionfruit. Aussie Cordial is headquartered and manufactured in Las Vegas, Nevada. Aussie Cordial will soon be available in grocery stores across the U.S.A.

Source: The Aussie Cordial Company

Winning over new and existing consumers since 2013, the Red Bull Editions stand for taste and choice.  The line offers a delicious taste option for every palate whether new to the energy drink category, or currently enjoying Red Bull while working, studying, traveling, working out or juggling the daily demands of life.

Red Bull is expanding the successful Red Bull Editions line with Red Bull Green Edition, Red Bull Purple Edition Sugarfree and Red Bull Lime Edition Sugarfree offering the wings of Red Bull with the tastes of Kiwi Apple, Acai Berry and Limeade, respectively. The Red Bull Editions stand for taste and choice, offering a delicious option for every palate whether new to the category or currently enjoying Red Bull while working, studying, traveling, working out or juggling the daily demands of life.

The introduction of the Red Bull Purple Edition Sugarfree and Red Bull Lime Edition Sugarfree now provide consumers with the additional choice of sugar content, especially for those looking for variety and sugar-free offerings.

A resounding success last summer as the top selling new beverage item launched in 2016*, the limited edition Red Bull Summer Edition Kiwi Twist is returning permanently as the Red Bull Green Edition.  The Red Bull Green Edition offers the functionality of Red Bull with the taste of Kiwi Apple.

Source: Red Bull North America

Grapefruit and Pineapple Flavour. Immediately after opening the can, you can smell pineapple, which is the main note in the aroma. A very sweet, strong tropical aroma matches the packaging design. After tasting it, you notice the sourness coming from the grapefruit and the carbonation. The main flavour note is definitely grapefruit with a slight hint of a pineapple. This beverage is clear and has no additional colouring.

Lemon and Lime Flavour. The aroma for this flavour is also strong and fruity, with a clearly noticeable citrus-fruit combination and an explicit lime flavour. Tasting the product, you can notice the sourness coming from lemon and a very slight bitterness from lime. They create a beautiful combination with strong but not overpowering flavours. No added sweeteners and no kcal are definitely attractive points for consumers.

For more information visit Ugly website.

In addition to only being 90 calories per 12 oz. serving, fewer calories than the leading hard seltzer brands currently on the market, SMIRNOFF’s new premium malt beverage has only 1g carbs, zero sugar and no artificial sweeteners. Adult consumers can now make SMIRNOFF Spiked Sparkling Seltzer their go-to bubbly of 2017, as one 12 oz. can offers less calories than a standard 5 oz. serving of most champagnes. Are those New Year’s resolutions sounding more reasonable yet?

Consumers 21 years of age and older can pick up SMIRNOFF Spiked Sparkling Seltzer in three refreshing-tasting flavors – Orange Mango, Cranberry Lime and Watermelon. Served chilled in its slimline can, the three flavors are crafted to remove gluten and are infused with natural fruit flavors.

“The SMIRNOFF brand is bringing something new to the emerging spiked seltzer category by now offering its lowest calorie option (in its flavored malt beverage portfolio),” said Krista Kiisk, Brand Director of Flavored Malt Beverages, Diageo Beer Co. USA. “We know people are looking for different options when it comes to their alcohol, and SMIRNOFF Spiked Sparkling Seltzer delivers variety without sacrificing taste.”

SMIRNOFF Spiked Sparkling Seltzer is 4.5% alcohol by volume (ABV) and is best served chilled in the 12 oz. slimline cans or in a glass on the rocks with a fruit garnish. The new product is available nationwide with a manufacturer’s recommended retail price of $8.99 for a 6-pack of 12 oz. cans.

To remind consumers this product is meant for those over the age of 21, there is a hard-to-miss “Must be 21+ to purchase” callout on each can. When cracking open one of these tasty cans, SMIRNOFF asks consumers to enjoy this bubbly goodness responsibly.

Source: Smirnoff

Bai was acquired for upwards of 10x sales

Last month, Dr. Pepper Snapple agreed to acquire healthy beverage maker Bai Brands, the maker of 5-calorie drinks and antioxidants, for $1.7 billion. The deal is expected to close in the first quarter of 2017, and Bai is expecting sales of $435 million over the next 12 months.

In capitalizing on the “better-for-you” beverage trend, PepsiCo also announced in November that it has entered into an agreement to acquire sparkling probiotic drink company KeVita Inc. for a reported $250 million.

According to industry insiders, Bai was acquired for upwards of 10x sales, reminiscent of the 2007 $4.2 billion Coca-Cola acquisition of Glaceau, maker of Vitaminwater.

Data service SPINS reported at industry convention BevNet Live 2016 earlier this month that U.S. sales have topped $40 billion annually in the organic and natural segment of the business.

The Bai and KeVita news is a signal that a “better-for-you” beverage revolution is underway, as moms battle the rise in obesity and diabetes among children and adolescents across the country.

Adding more pressure on the soda category, several cities have approved taxes on soda, including San Francisco, Oakland and Chicago, as lawmakers try to legislate health.

That means investors are likely searching for the next opportunity in the sector, which leads us to Irvine, California-based True Drinks Holding, Inc.

True Drinks makes Aquaball- a sugar free, naturally-flavored water with a ball-shaped bottle designed with familiar characters from Disney and Marvel like Elsa and Iron Man. It has zero calories, no artificial colors or flavors, no high fructose corn syrup and is a good source of vitamins.

The company previously announced it has partnered with distribution giant Niagara Bottling and earlier this year released a preservative-free formulation.

A recent study by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation titled Sugary Drinks and Latino Kids shows that Latino children under the age of 5 who drink sugary drinks had 2.3x the odds of becoming severely obese, while Latino toddlers who didn’t consume sugary drinks had 31 percent lower odds of obesity.

According to a press release issued earlier this week, True Drinks said syndicated data from a large mainstream grocer showed 2x expected sales for Aquaball.

“Our sales greatly exceeded our initial velocity expectations of 10 bottles per flavor per week and reflect consumers’ desire for healthier options for their families,” said Jeff Culbertson, EVP Sales at True Drinks. “Our dollar sales will continue to increase as we expand distribution to all of our retail partners’ stores.”

Source: Market News Updates

The study supports stevia’s naturality and found all nine of the steviol glycoside molecules required by the specifications set by the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), a committee jointly administered by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and the World Health Organization (WHO), were present and unchanged in the dried stevia leaf, through the commercial extraction and purification process and in the final stevia leaf extract product.

This research looked at three separate batches of stevia leaf that went through commercial production to final product, the 95 percent purity stevia leaf extract.

The study samples were provided by PureCircle and each of the three, commercial batches included the dried stevia leaf, the first water extract and the final product from each of the three corresponding leaf samples. The research found that the stevia leaf extract end products were of 95 percent purity, which is required by JECFA.

This is the first time a study has examined steviol glycosides from multiple commercial stevia leaf samples through different stages in the extraction and purification process, starting with the leaf and ending with the stevia sweetener end product.

This study used well-known analytical techniques such as high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) in combination with C18 and/or hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) columns to separate, identify and quantify the individual steviol glycoside molecules.

Ursula Wölwer-Rieck, PhD

“Finding the same nine steviol glycoside molecules unchanged in the stevia leaf, the water extract and in the final product confirms that the commercial extraction and purification process of high purity stevia leaf extract does not alter the sweet steviol glycoside molecules in the leaf,” said Dr. Ursula Wölwer-Rieck, the scientist at the University of Bonn, Germany who conducted the stevia research.

“Showing that it is unchanged is important in this whole naturality debate because there are people who still call into question the naturality of high purity stevia leaf extract.”

Dr. Wölwer-Rieck is a well-known stevia expert and a tenured academic Councilor in the Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences at the University of Bonn.

She is also a board member of the European Stevia Association (EUSTAS) and a member of the Advisory Board of the Global Stevia Institute. As a food chemist her academic research has focused on steviol glycosides and she has published papers on their analysis and stability in food.

“For us, this study supports something that we have believed all along,” said Dr. Priscilla Samuel, Director of the Global Stevia Institute. “That the sweet molecules of high purity stevia leaf sweetener are the same sweet molecules in the leaf and have the ability to completely change the way we sweeten foods and beverages. So many people today want that zero-calorie sweetness from a natural source and this research supports its naturality from the leaves through the finished product.”

Source: The Global Stevia Institute