Ray Latif is the lead host, producer, and content editor of Taste Radio, BevNET’s flagship podcast and the go-to show for food and beverage industry insights. With 14 years of experience in the industry, Ray is a seasoned journalist known for his sharp interviews and in-depth coverage of trends, innovation, and news. He began his career at BevNET as an assistant editor, later advancing to managing editor of both the website and magazine. Since 2016, he’s been the driving force behind Taste Radio, overseeing everything from content strategy to production. Ray’s conversational style and meticulous research have earned him widespread praise from both guests and listeners. He has had the privilege of interviewing a diverse range of high-profile figures, including Patrick Mahomes, Jennifer Garner, Dan Aykroyd, Kobe Bryant, Padma Lakshmi, and Brad Paisley. His ability to connect with entrepreneurs, celebrities, and industry leaders has made Taste Radio a must-listen for anyone interested in the evolving world of food and beverage.
The category of cold-pressed juice has matured, and at Whole Foods, the largest retailer in the natural grocery channel, there's not much more room -- if any -- for brands seeking a national presence within the chain. That's the assessment of a high-ranking Whole Foods executive who spoke with BevNET on the floor at the 2015 Natural Products Expo East.
Hood's Milkwise beverage is described by the company as “a proprietary blend of water, lowfat milk, sugar and other ingredients blended together to optimize taste while delivering lower sugar, fewer calories and more calcium than traditional dairy milk."
Perhaps more than any particular hot new trend, what stuck out at last week’s Natural Products Expo East trade show at the Baltimore Convention Center was the visible growth and continued maturation of beverage categories and brands which were in their infancy just a few short years ago.
As demand for cold-pressed juice continues to expand, Goodnature, one of the largest manufacturers of commercial cold-pressing equipment, sees opportunity to make production simple and feasibly available for a wide range of retailers, particularly neighborhood cafes and small, independent grocers, with the launch of a new machine designed to fit on most commercial kitchen countertops.
Within the natural channel, the development of the cold-brew coffee category has been rapid and highly visible, and a new report from market research company Mintel confirms that the beverage is a hot commodity.
As volume sales of carbonated soft drinks remain in a freefall, major soda manufacturers continue to push the envelope with price increases, yet struggle to offset the sustained declines.
In a company release, Califia stated that new capital “will be used primarily to invest in deepening production and distribution capabilities, research and development, new hires, and sales and marketing.”
Nearly a year after PepsiCo unveiled a limited test of two of its soda brands for use in SodaStream’s at-home carbonation machines, the two companies have expanded the partnership, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Fair trade-focused coconut water brand Harmless Harvest today announced that it is adding a pair of experienced big-company executives to help run the business.
Declining demand has pushed sales of orange juice to their lowest point in 13 years. There is, however, a glimmer of hope for the beverage. Born out of a renaissance for home juicing and booming interest in cold-pressed blends, super premium and organic juice products have drawn acclaim and surging sales.
The flavor ingredients are all sourced fresh and blended into the beverages, an aspect aligned with the positioning of Pok Pok Som as a taste-first-and-foremost brand that pulls from a flavorful Asian pantry.
The company recently partnered with UNFI, the nation’s largest distributor of natural foods and a preferred supplier for Whole Foods. UNFI now distributes a range of Columbia Gorge juices in Texas, Madison, Wis. and Chicago, and the brand is gradually making its way east, now using HPP as a way to extend shelf life of products carried by the wholesaler.
Senomyx, a flavor supplier that manufactures Sweetmyx, today announced that a concentrated version of the ingredient, one designed to enhance the flavor profile of foods and beverages made with reduced calories and sugar, will be used in Manzanita Sol nationally and in Mug Root Beer in two U.S. test markets.
Mounting food waste is said to be at the heart of operational losses that reached $600,000 a month across all Organic Avenue locations by May, 2015.
