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.
In this video, filmed on location at the 2015 Natural Products Expo West, BevNET CEO John Craven and BevNET Managing Editor point to specific examples of brands and products that aim to address sustained consumer demand for natural functionality through the application of emerging ingredients.
Describing millennials as “leading the way now,” Califia Farms CEO Greg Steltenpohl and his team are focused on an innovation and marketing strategy that targets consumers within the demographic set.
Amid a constant flow of new entrants to the category, cold-pressed brands, as expected, continue to lean on new and trendy ingredients as a way to innovate and differentiate. However, it was clear that many are also attempting to distinguish themselves via price and package variety.
Circling the show floor, BevNET visited with dozens of the beverage booths at the event and came away with a number of highlights regarding brand innovation, line extensions and new products.
The addition of a new line of multi-serve cashew and seed milk products follows the launch of Forager’s new 40,000 sq. ft. facility in Indio, Calif. Despite only recently beginning production in the new space, company co-founder Hanley said that the company has since added new equipment to keep supply in line with growing sales of Forager products.
With a specialty in handling the kinds of emerging brands that are typically found sampling out of their booths at Natural Products Expo West, the more than 100 different fundraising rounds handled by food-and-beverage specialty law firm the Giannuzzi Group alone should serve as a fine indicator of the investment buzz that surrounded the event.
There were hundreds of new beverage brands, re-branded products, new sub-lines and changed formulations at Natural Products Expo West, which concluded its three-day stand in Anaheim, Calif. on Sunday, March 8. In the report below, BevNET correspondents John Craven and Ray Latif point out some of the most important and impactful new products.
Company co-founder Justin Guilbert said that do-it-yourself consumer blends had a substantial impact on Harmless Harvest’s decision to create a coffee-inflused product.
A growing number of mainstream consumers want to add chia to their diets, yet many are wary of high calorie and sugar counts in products formulated with the trendy and nutrient-dense ingredient. That premise is behind the development a new brand extension from Chia\Vie called Chia Infusions.
In the nearly three months since its resounding victory in BevNET’s New Beverage Showdown 8, Tio Gazpacho has aligned itself with some powerful partners, and is now in midst for a big distribution push.
The introduction marks yet another foray into the burgeoning world of cold-pressed, high-pressure processed juices by a food and beverage conglomerate.
Natural channel stalwart Uncle Matt’s Organic has for the first time waded into the functional beverage space with the launch of three new multi-serve juice products.
Three high-profile entrepreneurial beverage companies recently solidified their executive ranks with beverage veterans hailing from a variety of backgrounds within the industry.
Organic erythritol was the bottleneck, but a packaging change and a shift in availability of the sweetener has given way to an across-the-board update to Honest Tea’s line of zero-calorie sodas.
