Just as spectators will ask how low can you go when participants are facing off in a limbo challenge, consumers are asking the same of food and beverage manufacturers. However, these requests have spread beyond traditional low-calorie refreshment to also include sports nutrition formulations.

The term “superfood” has been bandied about the beverage industry in reference to products containing nutrient-rich fruits like blueberries, pomegranate and cranberry, which increasingly have become popular with health-conscious consumers.

Using ultra-high pressured cold water, HPP preserves the natural nutrients in beverages, resulting in increased popularity among brand owners.

More than one in three U.S. consumers are following a specific diet or eating pattern, and they are increasingly averse to carbohydrates and sugar, according to the 13th Annual Food and Health Survey, released in May by the International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation, Washington, D.C.

Used in a combination of flavors and drinks, citrus offers a refreshing, better-for-you enhancement in a wide variety of alcohol and non-alcohol products.

As consumers strive for healthy, natural beverages, clean labels and products with simple, recognizable ingredients, natural flavors and colors are dominating the beverage aisle. Yet, expert note the term “clean label” can mean different things.

Hot or cold, bottled or bagged, tea is one of the most recognizable, widely consumed beverages in the world due to its healthy halo, premium options and flavor innovations.

Hydrocolloids have shown how valuable they are in order to improve a beverage’s texture and mouthfeel, facilitate increased usage of protein, fiber and nutrients, and serve as “the glue” to provide consumers with the functional, healthy beverages they demand.

Beverage companies and foodservice outlets are employing digital marketing efforts, expanding clean-label offerings and sourcing locally to reach the millennial generation.

Icon Foods unveiled a new, all-natural sweetener line with KetoseSweet, KetoseSweet+, KetoseSweet+ with stevia and KetoseSweet+ with monk fruit. Naturally occurring in wheat, figs, raisins, jackfruit and more, allulose is a key ingredient in the KetoseSweet portfolio.