Expo West

Sambazon will be sampling a couple of new products at its booth at Expo West. The two new smoothies will be a Chocolate Almond Coconut Milk Protein Superfood Smoothie made with vegan, organic protein and acai, and a Supergreens Superfruit Smoothie that included grasses, kale and sea greens along with acai, mango and banana. Both will kick off in Whole Foods this week with an SRP of $2.99.

It’s time for New Hope Natural Media’s 32nd annual Expo West show co-located with Engredea and Nutracon held at the Anaheim Convention Center. Expo West along with its sister show Expo East, are the leading venues to see and sample all-natural and organic products. As always, BevNET.com will be on hand to cover and report on the beverage-related exhibitors at the show – over 160 in total this year.

Zico will be introducing its first caffeinated product when it unveils Zico Latte at the Natural Products Expo West show later this week. The product, a blend of coconut water from concentrate, sugart, coconut cream, coffee and vanilla, weighs in at 120 calories and has 85 mg of caffeine. The product is expected to officially launch in June.

Aloe drink maker ALO is introducing a new flavor called ALO Escape and new packaging for its Coco Exposed line at Natural Products Expo West. The company is also launching ALOtones, a value-added promotion in which a free music download comes with purchase of an ALO product.

Zola, long known as a purveyor of Brazilian superfruit juices like acai, mango, and cupuacu, has turned to trendy coconut water to broaden out its portfolio. The company is launching a canned 17.5 oz. pure (not from concentrate) coconut water at Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim next week. While acknowledging there has been something of a run on the category in recent months, Zola founder Chris Cuvelier says the company is promising a great tasting product to consumers.

Q Drinks has added Q Kola and Q Club to its line of sparking drinks and will sample both new products at Natural Products Expo West. Q Kola is a cola made with a number of organic fruits and spices including cinnamon, cloves, coriander, kola nut, lemon, lime, orange and nutmeg . The cola is lightly sweetened with organic agave, contains no sugar or high fructose corn syrup, and contains 70 calories per serving.

Harmless Harvest is set to launch a 16 oz. bottle for its 100 percent raw and organic coconut water. The new package size has a suggested retail price of $4.99 and will be distributed nationally - along with its 8 oz. counterpart - at natural foods stores, grocery stores, and co-ops through UNFI. Harmless Harvest wrapped up a three month exclusive deal with Whole Foods on January 1, and its coconut water is now sold in over 1,000 stores across the country.

Cobá, a Los Angeles-based beverage company that produces a line of aguas frescas, will debut a new Horchata flavor at Natural Products Expo West. The rice water-based aguas frescas is made from all-natural ingredients and sweetened with 100 percent organic cane sugar. Cobá describes the new Horchata flavor as slightly creamy and light in body with notes of cinnamon and vanilla.

Guayaki Yerba Mate is expanding into another category format, releasing a trio of sparkling yerba mate beverages – including a cola flavor -- in 12.5 oz. slim cans. The company will debut the line extension at Natural Products Expo West next month. It’s part of a larger, ongoing plan to help turn yerba mate into a more recognizable ingredient – and one with a more easily understood purpose.