Zupa Noma

After highlighting a handful of new drinks in our show preview last week, check out the following gallery for a look at some of the other new and forthcoming innovations we saw at Natural Products Expo East 2018.

Soylent founder and CEO Rob Rhinehart stepped down today, announcing in a blog post that it was time to “pass the reins” to a leader with more management and beverage industry experience. He will remain on the company’s board of directors as executive chairman and is the largest shareholder.

Zupa Noma enters Whole Foods NoCal and Wegman’s nationwide; Coca-Cola Company completes its refranchising effort; New Age Beverage Company partners with Dot Foods for new channel penetration; Powell & Mahoney get into Whole Foods; Arteasans digs into the midwest.

This week’s episode of Taste Radio features a wide-ranging conversation with Krave Jerky and Sonoma Brands founder Jon Sebastiani. Recorded at the 2017 Summer Fancy Food Show, Sebastiani delved into his background in the food and beverage industry as an heir to a legacy wine family and talked about what spurred him to strike out on his own with Krave.

As consumers continue to seek convenience, nutrition, and satiation from their beverages, drinkable soup and yogurt brands are seeing opportunity in marketing their products as meal replacement drinks or in-between meal snacks.