Clean is clearly the new norm in beveragesfoodbusinessnews.net/articles/17160-clean-is-clearly-the-new-norm-in-beverages

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Source: Waterloo Sparkling Water, National Beverage Corp., Spindrift

CHICAGO — Consumer perceptions have shifted, and many are focusing on buyingproducts they consider cleaner and healthier. In response, they are turning their attentionand wallets to clean label products containing natural ingredients and no syntheticchemicals.

The pandemic has heightened consumer concerns about how beverages are formulated.Manufacturers have taken note, reformulating recipes with new and cleaner foodingredients, according to a report from LEK Consulting, Chicago.

“The fast-growing and evolving clean food landscape presents opportunity for foodingredient manufacturers, investors and retailers,” said Rob Wilson, managing director atLEK. “As interest has dramatically picked up in recent years and shows no sign of slowingdown, major players must capitalize on the clean label mega-trend to stay ahead.”

More than 60% of consumers prefer products described as having “no artificial1/9

ingredients” and “no preservatives” and as being “all natural,” according to LEK research.New technologies and food science are providing innovative solutions to growing consumerinterest in clean label beverages.

The baseline for innovation

Clean ingredients have become the new baseline, according to the 2020 US GroceryShopper Trends, a report produced by the FMI – The Food Industry Association,Washington, in collaboration with The Hartman Group, Bellevue, Wash. Shoppers arereevaluating purchase criteria and product assortment needs. They have a sharper focus onhealth, a heightened awareness of the environmental consequences of consumption and adesire for a deeper connection to food, according to the study. They seek products void ofingredients that may go against their aspirations, including artificial and geneticallymodified ingredients, as well as added sugars.

The International Food Information Council Foundation’s (IFIC) 2020 Food & HealthSurvey, which was conducted April 8-16, or about one month into the pandemic, showedthat nearly 1 in 10 consumers (9%) follow a clean-eating diet. The natural label is mostinfluential when shopping and when purchasing food prepared outside the home. Otherclean label claims that attract are non-GMO and organic.

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Clean ingredients have become the new baseline, according to the 2020 US Grocery Shopper Trendsreport published by the FMI - The Food Industry Association.

Seventy-four percent of consumers are cleaning up their beverage selection by limiting andavoiding sugars in the diet, according to the IFIC study. Six out of 10 drink water instead ofcaloric beverages. It’s no wonder the popularity of flavored waters — sparkling and still —continues to boom. The beverages typically rely on premium natural flavors without anycolors, calories or sweeteners.

National Beverage Corp., Fort Lauderdale, Fla., continues to bring new flavors to itsLaCroix brand of sparkling waters, a brand that helped fuel the popularity of sugar-free,calorie-free flavored carbonated waters. Within the past year, Limoncello and Pastèque(French for watermelon) joined the other 27 flavors in the marketplace.

Until recently, calling water out on beverages other than the product that resembles whatcomes from the sink had been infrequent. Marketers have learned water has a healthy halowith a suggestive clean approach to hydration and are using the term more liberally.Today’s shoppers may find caffeinated waters, protein waters and an array of functionalwaters. Some remain calorie-free while others are promoted as being lower-calorie formsof the “real deal.” Some contain sweeteners; others rely on premium flavor essences or fruitjuices. Some may include a high-intensity natural sweetener, such as monk fruit or stevia.

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An emerging clean label sweetener in the no-added-sugar beverage space is allulose. The“rare sugar” was designated as Generally Recognized as Safe in June 2012. In April 2019,the US Food and Drug Administration determined allulose may be excluded from total andadded sugars counts on labels and that the lower calorie content may be used for totalcalorie determination. That’s because allulose is not metabolized by the body. The FDAruled its caloric value in humans is about 0.4 per gram as compared to 4 calories per gramof sugar.

Allulose has a sweetness curve similar to sucrose; however, it is only about 70% as sweet assucrose. Because it tastes like sucrose, unlike other low- and no-calorie sweeteners thatmay have upfront intense sweetness, lingering tastes or bitterness, it typically does notrequire flavor masking. Flavor modulators may assist with enhancing sweetness or allulosemay be used with sugar or high-intensity sweeteners to achieve the full 100% sweet taste ofsucrose.

“Sugar’s increasingly negative image due to its impact on rising diabetes rates andchildhood obesity has hurt sales of sugary beverages,” said Jennifer Mapes-Christ, foodindustry publisher, Packaged Facts, Rockville, Md. “People who want to reduce their sugarintake typically do not want sugar-free products but instead those with less sugar or thosesweetened with natural, non-sugar ingredients. New product activity has surged forreduced-sugar varieties of beverages, with manufacturers using natural sweeteners.”

This includes fruit ingredients. Newton, Mass.-based Spindrift was founded in 2010 andquickly gained a cult-like following in the United States. The brand differs from LaCroix inthat it is naturally flavored and sweetened with fruit. All products are free of addedsweeteners or natural flavors, and they consist of water, just the right amount of bubblesand squeezed fruit. The brand’s most recent addition is pineapple, which is made withCosta Rican pineapples.

“Fruit and vegetable pieces and powders give beverages the taste and feel of fruits andvegetables, while providing sweetness and color,” Mr. Wilson said. “They come in myriadforms, fortify products with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, and contribute to ahealth and wellness lifestyle.”

Waterloo Sparkling Water, Austin, Texas, added a blueberry flavor to its product mix.Formulated by the company’s in-house flavor development team, the new sparkling waterfeatures an up-front balance of fruity notes and true-to-fruit finish, the company said.

Cold-pressed fruits and vegetables provide an extra layer of “clean” to beverages. As thename suggests, cold-pressed juices are being manufactured without heat. The juices areextracted using a slow pulverizer with hydraulic press, as compared to traditionalcentrifugal juicing processes that generate heat. This is done in order to preserve more ofthe nutrients and active compounds in the whole fruits and vegetables.

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Sapsucker is an organic sparkling tree water developed and produced in Canada.

Natalie’s Orchard Island Juice Co., Fort Pierce, Fla., has taken its cold-pressed juice line astep further with the addition of clean label functional ingredients. The line made its debutin early 2019. This year the company added two new varieties. Nourish contains greensuperfood ingredients, including cucumbers, which studies have shown reduce stress,along with antioxidant-rich kale and spinach, which are intended to rejuvenate the body.Other ingredients include fresh pineapple, celery, lime cilantro and a kick of jalapeño forspice. Immunity is about enhancing the function of the immune system, often throughvitamin C-rich foods. Fresh oranges and tangerines are the main ingredients. The juice also

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contains pineapple, aloe vera and sweet basil.

Sapsucker is an organic sparkling tree water developed and produced in Canada and isformulated to support local tree farmers and forest management. Maple trees drawmoisture through their roots and trunk, acting as a natural filter. Over the course of aCanadian winter, the water collects nutrients that provide hydration and nourishment,enabling the tree’s growth and rejuvenation when it starts to warm. In the spring, trees aretapped; the harvest process does not harm the trees. The sweet water is infused withnatural lemon or lime flavor, and carbonation is added for a subtle bubble. The finalproduct is described as a healthy plant-based beverage boasting minerals, antioxidants,amino acids, vitamins and prebiotics.

On the cutting edge

Many consider cannabinoids to be a clean label plant extract with functional benefits.That’s why many of the next-generation CBD beverages entering the marketplace avoidartificial ingredients and even calories.

“Our customers kept asking us for a zero-calorie option, so we set out to craft some great-tasting sparkling CBD waters,” said Andrew Fulton, co-founder, Rocky Mountain Soda,Denver. “It can be difficult to make things with no sweeteners taste good, especially withhemp extracts, so it’s all about sourcing high-quality ingredients and letting them shine.

“We are committed to creating unique flavors using all-natural and organic ingredients.We keep it as simple as possible and let the ingredients speak for themselves.”

The new sparkling CBD water line comes in citrus and hibiscus flavors. Both contain 20mg of broad spectrum hemp extract and natural flavors for a clean and relaxed vibe, Mr.Fulton said. They have zero carbohydrates, zero sugar, zero sodium, and are vegan, kosher,gluten-free and non-GMO.

New Agua Bucha from Mother Kombucha, St. Petersburg, Fla., is a kombucha-infusedcarbonated water. It is described as a crisp, refreshing sparkling water enhanced with Bvitamins and organic acids found in kombucha. A proprietary process ensures Agua Buchais shelf stable without pasteurization, and all nutrition is derived naturally from thekombucha. It comes in three organic flavors — grapefruit, key lime and Meyer lemon —with each 12-oz can containing 4 calories from the 1 gram of sugar added for sweetness.

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Rocky Mountain Soda's sparkling CBD water line comes in cirtus and hibiscus flavors and has nocarbohydrates, sugar or sodium.

Turkey Hill Dairy, Conestoga, Pa., offers Trace of Tea Water. The beverage is purifiedwater with a touch of tea essence, which are aromatic flavors released during the brewingprocess. The ready-to-drink beverage contains no calories, no sweeteners and no artificialcolors or flavors. And while made with tea essence, it does not claim to contain anycaffeine. The four varieties are black tea, black tea with mint, green tea and green tea withlemon.

Clean caffeine is another differentiator in the beverage sector. Energy drinks with naturalsources of caffeine, such as coffee, tea and other plants, may prove attractive as clean labelalternatives to chemically caffeinated beverages.

After listening to feedback from thousands of Whole Foods customers, Angry Angel,Raleigh, NC, began sourcing all-natural ingredients to develop a healthy, high-performance, energy beverage. The new product, Angry Angel Mind, Body and Soul Fuel,comes in blackberry lemon and tropical flavors and is verified by the Non-GMO Project.

“I have personally performed over 300 sampling sessions and found that consumersgenerally want a ‘healthy’ energy drink option, but find labels misleading or lackinginformation,” said Justin Lloyd, founder. “Industry-leading energy drinks are packed withcheap, bulk ingredients like artificial sweeteners, chemical preservatives and lab-madecaffeine. I spent years perfecting our new formula, in part to challenge the big-branddecision-makers who are above going into stores and listening to the consumer, and touproot the industry and enforce ingredient quality and transparency.”

The formula balances function and natural ingredients in place of artificial ingredients. Co-enzyme Q10 and plant-based caffeine derived from yerba mate provide a clean energyboost, B-vitamin complex serves to optimize cognitive function, and vitamin C works toelevate immunity. It is sweetened with organic monk fruit.

“We achieved our goal of providing ingredient transparency through the use of icons andthird-party verification,” Mr. Lloyd said, “Our new product works to meet consumerdemand for a great-tasting, high-performance, natural energy beverage. With zero calories,zero sugar, and zero artificial ingredients, it’s as simple as it gets.”

Nutrition shake and meal replacement manufacturers also are embracing clean labelformulations. Kate Farms, Santa Barbara, Calif., for example, is introducing a line oforganic, plant-based meal replacement shakes making it easier for consumers to fuel theirbodies with clean, energy-boosting nutrition.

“We have pioneered plant-based nutrition in the medical setting where clinicians prescribe8/9

our formulas to patients who are at nutritional risk, fighting chronic diseases, such asautoimmune issues, digestive problems, allergies, cancer and malnutrition,” said BrettMatthews, Kate Farms chairman and CEO. “Now, Kate Farms’ clinically proven nutritionhelps everyone lead a healthier lifestyle and meet their individual needs and situations,medical or not.”

Like all Kate Farms products, the nutrition shakes are free of dairy, soy, gluten, corn andartificial ingredients, making it suitable for dairy-free, gluten-free, plant-based and vegandiets. Made from organic, non-GMO ingredients, the shakes provide a balanced, protein-and nutrient-rich meal, a third of an adult’s daily key nutrients in only 330 calories,without sacrificing nutrition or taste, and all with a clean ingredient list.

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