Beverages
Beverage Insights
Our experts discuss emerging trends shaping the beverage space.
Alyssa Leyva
NA Product Line Manager, High-Intensity Sweeteners
Consumers want to manage their health through food and beverages; it’s up to brands to deliver.
Gretchen Hadden
Integrated Marketing Communications Director
Without question, sugar reduction is a top priority. Consumers rank sugar reduction as the number-one way to make processed foods and beverages healthier.
Dr. Janice Johnson
Food Technical Advisor
Consumers are looking for all kinds of benefits in functional beverages: Cognition. Mood. Sleep. Immune support. The list goes on.
Formulation Tips
Sugar Reduction & Sweeteners
Gretchen Hadden
Integrated Marketing Communications Director
With our new Gerkens® Sweety cocoa powders, formulators can use 15 to 30% less sugar* and still delight with rich, chocolatey flavors.
Alyssa Leyva
NA Product Line Manager, High-Intensity Sweeteners
With EverSweet® stevia sweetener + ClearFlo™ natural flavor, we can address mouthfeel, taste and even bubbles in reduced-sugar beverages.
Functional Ingredients
Dr. Janice Johnson
Food Technical Advisor
There’s a huge movement toward sustaining hydration in sports beverages. Electrolytes are key; you’ll also see antioxidants, vitamins and other ingredients.
Alyssa Leyva
NA Product Line Manager, High-Intensity Sweeteners
4 in 10 consumers choose beverages that provide a health benefit, and most consider food and beverages as better options than prescriptions.
Dr. Janice Johnson
Food Technical Advisor
People choose non-alcoholic beverages for many reasons, but one is health. I could see this space gravitate toward functional ingredients.
Dairy Alternatives
Gretchen Hadden
Integrated Marketing Communications Director
New Gerkens® Floret™ is designed for almond milk-based beverages; Russet™ is suited for oat milk. Each brings a unique flavor profile.
Alyssa Leyva
NA Product Line Manager, High-Intensity Sweeteners
Want to create a reduced-sugar, high-protein, plant-based dairy-alt beverage? PURIS® 2.0 pea protein makes 20+ grams per serving possible.
Label Claims
Alyssa Leyva
NA Product Line Manager, High-Intensity Sweeteners
Our ClaimTracker™ research found that “good source of protein” is the most-impactful individual claim. “No artificial ingredients” also ranks high.
Gretchen Hadden
Integrated Marketing Communications Director
Claims around sourcing – for example, “made with real chocolate – rate high, as do claims around health, like protein or immune health.
Download the 2024 report, What’s Hot in Beverages, for more details.
No-Sugar-Added Paloma Cocktail
The perfect citrusy cocktail: light and refreshing with just 90 calories per serving and no added sugar. EverSweet® stevia sweetener and Zerose® erythritol deliver sweetness, and citric acid helps the natural fruit flavors shine. For the finishing touch, we rim the glass with Pink Himalayan salt.
Chocolate Plant-Protein Smoothie
A label-friendly powerhouse, with a robust 20 grams of protein and just 7 grams of sugar per serving. EverSweet® stevia sweetener + ClearFlo™ natural flavor brings sweetness without sugar and enhances the indulgent chocolatey flavor profile, while soluble rice flour adds rich mouthfeel.
