5 innovative product concepts
Convenience in beverages
Mainstream consumers are looking for convenience and alternative delivery methods. Offering a range of delivery forms will help brands strengthen product adoption rates, continued use, and customer loyalty. Sol-U-Pak TM pouches of powdered drink mixes and protein powders provide the ultimate single serve convenience.
For example, look at pre-workout beverages, post-workout beverages, and protein powders. No one really wants to get their workout by lugging a 2 pound tub of protein to the gym. We need the convenience of a portable single serving option. Sol-U-Paks TM are the perfect answer.
What is a Sol-U-Pak TM, you ask? A Sol-U-Pak TM is a pouch that is soluble in cold water. The pouch is made entirely of edible packaging film. All components of this film have FDA approval for food use.
The mainstream consumer has become an important driver in the industry, transforming sports nutrition into nutrition for an active lifestyle. This transformation means that food and beverage manufacturers are changing how they approach product development and marketing.
Stop by the Watson booth at IFT for a demonstration of Sol-U-Paks TM.
Nutrients from nature
Another innovative concept being shown at our booth will be label friendly premixes. Try a sample of a chocolate peanut butter nutrition bar which is formulated to appeal to those looking for nutrition from nature. Our Moonwake bar prototype utilizes a label friendly premix containing ingredients such as natural vitamin E, D2, calcium from egg shells, and acerola powder, which is derived from the acerola cherry, one of nature's most potent sources of vitamin C.
When choosing the right nutrient sources for your product the target market should be one of the considerations. One way to appeal to multiple markets is with a cross over product that provides complete nutrition with some of the key nutrients coming from a natural source. In this way a nutritional product would have broad consumer appeal.
Beta-Carotene is a great way to get vitamin A, but don’t want an orange beverage?
Beta-carotene is often the preferred source of vitamin A for many of our customers. For two very good reasons (1) Beta-carotene is great because people see it as a nature identical source of vitamin A. (2) Your body converts only the amount of vitamin A needed from beta carotene and stores it in your skin cells. Unlike other forms of vitamin A, it is not stored in the liver, making beta carotene a very safe way of delivering vitamin A without concerns for toxicity.
The problem with beta-carotene in many applications is its color. Similar to carrots, which are rich in beta-carotene, it is bright orange. The intense color can make it difficult to use in formulations of foods, beverages, and dietary supplements.
We have been able to eliminate the color issue by producing a colloidal dispersion of beta-carotene and spray drying it. When added to water the resulting solution is clear.
No more orange beverages (unless you want orange, that is)! You can now have a clear beverage or a white milk based beverage that contains a significant level of beta-carotene.
Applications for BetaClear™ include beverages, powder blends, and tablets.
Add a little Happy to your brand
Edible Glitter EmojisTM will help your brand connect with customers at an emotional level. Buying decisions are influenced by emotions and consumers relate to brands with personalities. With Edible Glitter Emojis™, any food or beverage product can be infused with personality!
Edible Glitter Emojis™ offer a whole new way for consumers to interact with food and beverage brands. They are completely edible.
Edible Glitter™ products are available in EU, FD&C, and exempt colors (for example, plant based colors). You can have fun eye catching color and a clean label.
The demand for Organic is growing
Try a sample of organic gummy vitamins. They contain specially formulated micro-encapsulated nutrients. An innovative ethyl cellulose encapsulation provides a barrier between the core ingredient and its environment. This barrier can provide protection from harsh processing conditions such as high heat and high acid systems like gummy product manufacturing. It allows for use of sensitive ingredients where they may not otherwise survive. This type of specialized coating can also be useful in reducing processing losses for some beverage and bar applications as well.
