RENO, Nev.— As the wellness beverage industry continues to flourish, so does the demand for unique products that cater to the needs of the modern consumer. Terpene-infused drinks are rapidly gaining popularity and recognition, but due to Amazon’s strict policies on the sale of certain types of products, they are battling to keep a foothold on Amazon’s site.
One reason for this is that terpenes are often associated with cannabis, which is still illegal in many parts of the world. Although terpenes are found in many other plants and are legal to use, Amazon may have policies in place to avoid any association with the controversial plant.
The Happiest Hour is one such small business that’s had their products removed by Amazon and asked to resubmit copy without mention of its terpene ingredients. Terpenes are just one component to these 2 oz juice shots. Their flavors are naturally sourced from suppliers who are FDA approved and can ensure they are using only natural flavors that are authorized for use in food products under FDA regulations.
“We take great care to ensure that our products are manufactured according to Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventative Controls (HARPC), the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), which include safety protocols and guidelines for natural flavors,” says Co-Owner, Tiffany English. “Our facilities are inspected regularly to ensure that they comply with all applicable FDA regulations.?Use of any non-GRAS, non-FDA approved ingredient would result in the removal of our FDA site approval and decertification by the BRC.”
Their beverages are blended with botanical terpenes, which are aromatic compounds found in plants, fruits, flowers, spices, and herbs, and are responsible for their distinctive flavors and aromas. Terpenes are also believed to have a wide range of health benefits, from reducing inflammation and pain, enhancing focus and energy, elevating mood, to promoting relaxation and sleep.
The small business, whose products launched in 2021, is rapidly becoming a favorite among consumers and prides themselves on being a source of education on botanical terpenes.
Overall, the regulatory landscape for terpene-infused drinks is complex and constantly evolving, which can make it difficult for these products to stay on Amazon.
“Our products were on Amazon for several months before Co-Owner and CEO, Josh Damon, received an email from Amazon reps indicating they had been removed due to the nature of the ingredients,” said Blake Cox, Marketing Director for the company. “It was a little confusing as to why they suddenly weren’t allowed, especially after we worked so hard in the beginning to get Amazon to understand that our ingredients don’t include THC or CBD, and that our blends contain terpenes that are botanically derived.”
Amazon has a strict policy against the sale of CBD products, and any products found to contain CBD may be removed from the platform.
The company was told they could resubmit their products, but must remove any information about terpenes. They were denied, yet again, after submitting their revised storefront, description pages, as well as edits on graphics and images. Their storefront contained a Blends and Terpene Page where they offered knowledge and guidance on how their products interact in the body, as well as what terpenes are, and their benefits.
English noted, “Other similar brands were able to make changes and have the reasons resorted while we have to start over from scratch. It’s a detrimental blow to our small business since we’ve invested significant funds to get our Amazon pages going because of the promises they made after recruiting us.”
The Happiest Hour intends to submit their products, with new ASINS, after updating their packages and bottles to remove any use of the word terpenes. Whether or not their sales will be impacted by having to alter their product immersion strategy on the platform is still to be determined.
About The Happiest Hour
The Happiest Hour is a family of third generation beverage experts who genuinely care about enhancing the well-being of their customers. Building on 50 years of experience, they developed botanical terpene infused drinks to create more moments of happiness.
For More Information:
https://happiesthour.com/