Functional Beverage

Immunity in a glass: Orange juice bioactives may bolster immunity and reduce inflammation

19-Jul-2021 By Will Chu

The micronutrients and other bioactives contained in a glass of orange juice is sufficient enough to shore up the immune response and tackle oxidative stress and inflammation, a review concludes.

Nestlé acquires functional hydration brand Nuun

11-May-2021 By Rachel Arthur

Nestlé will acquire Seattle brand Nuun, entering the fast-growing functional hydration market.

GoodSport seeks to disrupt sports beverages category by ‘unlocking the power of milk’

12-Mar-2021 By Elaine Watson

It’s milk, but not as we know it, Jim… To be precise, GoodSport is dairy milk, but with the protein and fat removed via ultra-filtration, leaving a clear sugary fluid loaded with electrolytes and vitamins. But does this upcycled elixir (better known as...

Kawakawa innovation: NZ researchers to trial beverage for immunity, metabolic health gains

24-Feb-2021 By Tingmin Koe

New Zealand researchers are planning to conduct clinical trials on a kawakawa beverage with immune and metabolic health benefits, before refining the formulation and sell it in the export markets.

News in Brief

Solabia-Algatec reveals astaxanthin sport drink solution

05-Feb-2021 By Nikki Hancocks

Solabia-Algatech Nutrition has revealed a new micro-encapsulated, cold water-dispersible astaxanthin powder ideal for the growing sports nutrition and functional beverage markets.

Researchers wake up the gut with new probiotic tea, coffee

14-Jan-2021 By Danielle Masterson

Researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) have developed new probiotic coffee and tea.

Prebiotic wellness brand Muniq secures $8.2M in series A round

13-Jan-2021 By Danielle Masterson

Muniq, a company offering a functional nutrition line that promotes blood sugar control and gut health, recently closed a new round of funding — a move the company said will allow them to expand their line and get their product into the hands of people...

COVID-19 changes preferences? China consumers less interested in overseas supplement brands, while trust in TCM rises

04-Nov-2020 By Tingmin Koe

China consumers are placing more trust in traditional Chinese medicines (TCM), with a declining interest in overseas supplement brands and functional foods with health claims, said a consumer survey funded by the High-Value Nutrition National Science...

Study finds caffeine aids in nervous system recovery following bought of heavy exercise

26-Aug-2020 By Hank Schultz

Researchers in Iran have found that caffeine increases nervous system activation thereby enhancing recovery after a bought of strenuous exercise in healthy young men. The finding could have implications for how caffeine is used to support athletes.

FDA outlines qualified health claim for cranberry juice and supplements for urinary tract infections

22-Jul-2020 By Stephen Daniells

The US Food and Drug Administration will not object to the use of certain qualified health claims regarding consuming certain cranberry juice and supplements and a reduced risk of recurrent urinary tract infection (UTI) in healthy women.

The healthiest way to get your caffeine fix? Scientists suggest a filtered brew

27-Apr-2020 By Nikki Hancocks

Researchers have announced what they believe to be the healthiest way to drink coffee, after conducting an observational study of over 500,000 people examining the links between brewing method and risk of heart attack.

Editor's Spotlight

Microbial minefield? Functional formulation with prebiotics and probiotics

28-Feb-2020 By Nathan Gray

Interest in the use of probiotics and prebiotics as ingredients in food continues to grow, as consumers and industry look for microbiome-friendly foods. But just how doe these ingredients impact food development and, in particular, the texture of foods?

DuPont-IFF merger will create €40 billion nutrition and flavour business

16-Dec-2019 By Nathan Gray

A mega-merger between International Flavors & Fragrances Inc (IFF) and DuPont nutrition & biosciences unit will create a new industry giant worth more than $45 billion (€40.4 billion), say those involved in the deal.

DnaNudge pop-up launch looks to personalise nutrition choices via genetic-based insights

04-Dec-2019 By Will Chu

The world's first in-store genetic test that directs the consumer to make healthier personalised choices, based on their DNA profile is now open in London as a pop-up service.

Functional coffee: Ezaki Glico release series of drinks for blood sugar and stress relief

16-Oct-2019 By Guan Yu Lim

Ezaki Glico has launched a new series of coffee in Japan under the Food with Function Claim (FFC) label.

Insights from Lumina Intelligence

Sports Nutrition – key trends for 2020

14-Oct-2019 By Shane Starling

The mainstreaming of sports nutrition backed by the ever-rising importance of online reviews and ratings and social media validation, are key findings from a 6-pack of sports nutrition sub-sector reports published by Lumina Intelligence.

Rocket fuel: Million-dollar maths tools will help NASA keep space food vitamin-rich

20-Sep-2019 By Nathan Gray

A ground-breaking new mathematical model will help NASA to predict vitamin degradation in spaceflight food, ensuring astronauts remain fuelled on nutrient-rich diets, say researchers.

Pilot study: Pomegranate juice shows promise for baby brain development

23-Aug-2019 By Nikki Hancocks

Consuming pomegranate juice daily during pregnancy may protect brain development and brain connectivity in growth restricted babies, a new pilot study has revealed.

Smokers and drinkers benefit more from flavonoid-rich diet’s protective effect: Study

19-Aug-2019 By Will Chu

Dietary intake of the kinds of flavonoids found in apples and tea may ward off certain types of cancer and heart-related disease, a Danish cohort study finds, especially for smokers and heavy drinkers.

3+ caffeine-containing beverages enough to trigger migraine, Harvard study suggests

12-Aug-2019 By Will Chu

Consuming three or more caffeinated beverages daily may be enough to trigger a migraine, a new study suggests, pointing to the stimulant’s ability to provoke receptors that regulate pain.

UK government likely to ban sales of caffeine-rich energy drinks to under 16's

19-Jul-2019 By Will Chu

The UK looks set to ban the sale of energy drinks high in caffeine to children after a Department of Health consultation lays bare the link to headaches, hyperactivity and obesity.

CHERRiSH solidifies its place in sports recovery category with added distribution and new products

15-Jul-2019 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Tart cherry juice brand CHERRiSH has several health benefits that make it stand out against other sports drink brands (which primarily compete on hydration and electrolyte replenishment) including its ability to reduce muscle inflammation and purge the...

Healthy Ageing APAC Summit 2019

‘No single, simple solution’: Why a holistic approach is key to improving cognitive health - BioCeuticals

15-Jul-2019 By Tingmin Koe

Maintaining and improving cognitive health among APAC’s rapidly ageing population requires a holistic approach, considering the gut-brain axis, nutrition intake, and the need for a personalised plan.

Super infusion? Brazilian inventor seeks patent on instant bioactive tea concentrates

12-Jul-2019 By Kacey Culliney

An inventor from Brazil has developed highly concentrated, portable blends containing plant and wine extracts to enable on-the-go bioactive teas rich in trans-resveratol and other compounds.

More than just sports hydration: Researchers outline association between electrolytes and blood pressure

21-Jun-2019 By Adi Menayang

Lowering sodium and increasing potassium intake may exert “convincing blood pressure lowering effects,” especially in hypertensive individuals, according to a paper by Austrian researchers.

IPA World Congress + Probiota Americas: The US Army, A.I., communicating with consumers, and more

12-Jun-2019 By Stephen Daniells

The IPA World Congress + Probiota Americas 2019 in Vancouver is less than two weeks away, but there’s still time to register to hear from must-see speakers from the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science, the US Army, Danone, Pharmavite, and many...

Caffeine cleared? Energy drinks’ heart effects may not be stimulant’s fault, says study

04-Jun-2019 By Will Chu

The interaction of common ingredients contained in energy drinks may have a bigger say in the beverage’s effects on cardiovascular factors that affect the heart rhythm, a US study concludes.

New products in infant nutrition sift through limited number of ingredients

15-May-2019 By Hank Schultz

The infant nutrition market is characterized by few new ingredients, but lots of new players, according to information shared at a recent event hosted by ingredient supplier DSM.

DolCas BioTech and Tenshi Kaizen form joint venture to focus on nutraceutical development

26-Mar-2019 By Adi Menayang

Nutraceutical ingredient supplier DolCas BioTech has started a venture with India-based pharmaceutical and biotech company Tenshi Kaizen. The joint venture will focus exclusively on the research, development, and commercialization of nutraceutical products.

Beyond supplements: How are new encapsulation technologies driving innovation - WATCH

22-Mar-2019 By Nathan Gray

A combination of regulatory hurdles and growing consumer demand for more effective products means companies are looking for new ways to innovate with encapsulation technologies and delivery systems, say experts speaking to NutraIngredients.

ENCAPSULATION TECHNOLOGIES: BEYOND SUPPLEMENTS

Delivery by design: How can companies approach delivery systems more rationally?

22-Mar-2019 By Nathan Gray

While there has been an explosion in interest over colloidal delivery systems in recent years there has also been disconnect between primary research and commercialisation, says one expert who believes a novel ‘delivery by design’ approach could speed...

Norway’s food authorities warn of caffeine-containing energy drinks’ effect on kids

11-Feb-2019 By Will Chu

Children and adolescents who excessively consume caffeine-containing energy drinks over a short period of time, can experience sleep problems, anxiety and heart palpitations, say Norway’s food authorities.

Review finds no evidence of artificial sweeteners’ negative effects on gut health

23-Jan-2019 By Will Chu

No clear evidence exists of any adverse effects of low- / no-calorie sweeteners (LNCS) on the gut microbiota at doses relevant to human use, an in-depth review concludes.

Red Bull ad banned for making unauthorised health claims on focus and concentration

16-Jan-2019 By Rachel Arthur

A Red Bull cartoon advert has been banned for implying that the energy drink could increase focus and concentration in the workplace: claims that were not authorised on the EU Register.

Flow Alkaline Spring Water gets functional with new CBD-infused line

17-Dec-2018 By Mary Ellen Shoup

When Flow Alkaline Spring Water was looking to launch its next big idea in bottled water – a functional water infused with CBD (cannabidiol) and other botanical ingredients – it went to directly to the source: its four million US customers that the Canadian...

'Fusion superdrink': UK brand targeting APAC millennial market with locally inspired functional beverage

10-Dec-2018 By Cheryl Tay

UK beverage brand DRGN (pronounced 'dragon') has set its sights on APAC with its new functional soft drink, which combines ingredients originating from and popular in Asia to target consumers in the region.

Indian and Korean researchers develop functional probiotic beverage from fermented coconut water

20-Nov-2018 By Cheryl Tay

Researchers in India and South Korea have developed a functional fermented coconut beverage using the bacterial strain Lactobacillus casei L4.

Why PepsiCo, Coca-cola are betting on functional food and beverage brands

01-Nov-2018 By Adi Menayang

Legacy CPG companies PepsiCo and Coca-Cola have each snapped up or invested heavily in a functional food and beverage brand this year.

Coca-Cola and PepsiCo: No plans to enter cannabis space at the moment

31-Oct-2018 By Rachel Arthur

Coca-Cola and PepsiCo both say they have no current plans to enter the cannabis space, contrary to recent rumours.

Eyeing sports beverage formulators, BGG releases water dispersible astaxanthin

09-Oct-2018 By Adi Menayang

BGG, parent company of astaxanthin maker AlgaeHealth, announced a new water-dispersible version of its flagship AstaZine ingredient.

Vitafoods Asia 2018

WATCH — Innovation and collaboration: AstaReal's functional beverage prototypes impress at Vitafoods Asia

27-Sep-2018 By Gary Scattergood

AstaReal has unveiled two functional beverage prototypes — one to aid stress management and the other to boost muscle health in seniors — and picked up a Vitafoods Asia award in the process.

Consumers seek functional benefits even in their cup of joe, Mintel study finds

26-Sep-2018 By Adi Menayang

When buying a bottle of ready-to-drink coffee, it's not just about caffeine — many US consumers gravitate to options that provide antioxidants, probiotics, and brain health benefits.

Saturo secures six-figure investment to fund ‘new meal replacement drink category’

14-Sep-2018 By Will Chu

Austrian-based startup Saturo has secured a six-figure round of investment with food and beverage industry investors Square One Foods in a deal that caters to consumers looking to complement lifestyles with optimised diets.

Calming botanical drink Kalm & On, formerly known as Koppla, comes back to market

12-Sep-2018 By Adi Menayang

After a three-year hiatus, a calming botanical beverage is coming back to the market.

UK sets out plans to ban sales of energy drinks to children

30-Aug-2018 By Rachel Arthur

The UK government is proposing a ban on the sale of energy drinks to children: following on from moves made by major supermarkets to ban sales to U16s in their stores.

Kellogg and Reckitt Benckiser join race for GSK nutrition unit

22-Aug-2018 By Nathan Gray

Reckitt Benckiser and Kellogg are said to have joined the race to purchase GSK consumer nutrition business – with Nestlé, Unilever, Mondelēz and Coca-Cola already reportedly interested in the business.

Coca-Cola bets on coconut water-based sports drink brand BodyArmor

16-Aug-2018 By Adi Menayang

Riding on the ‘clean label’ sports nutrition movement, beverage giant Coca-Cola announced that it is acquiring a minority stake in BodyArmor, structured to lead to a full acquisition.

ISIC report points to life-extending potential of caffeine and coffee

02-Aug-2018 By Will Chu

A new roundtable report has suggested that coffee consumption can lead to a reduced risk of death with a collective of studies indicating a potential risk reduction of up to 17%.

"It's time we stopped using both terms interchangeably"

'Sports drinks' versus 'energy drinks': The two must be differentiated, argues ESSNA

11-Jul-2018 By Nathan Gray

It is vital that sports drinks designed to enhance the performance of athletes are clearly differentiated from highly caffeinated energy drinks that are not, says the European Specialist Sports Nutrition Alliance (ESSNA).

Introducing ESI Nutrition: Laïta launches new global B2B nutrition division

10-Jul-2018 By Nathan Gray

French dairy cooperative Laïta is rolling out a new global nutrition division, to be known as ESI Nutrition, as it looks to leverage expertise in the health and nutrition sector.