Kara Rubin
Co-Founder
Beyond Brands, a brand incubation and consulting firm
The beverage business is moving at light speed in all ways, including R&D, availability of investment capital, intensity of competition at retail. Ingredient focused trends will include: continuing to refine what “clean label” means (moving away from extracts, “natural flavors”, etc. in favor of focus on food-forward ingredients and emphasis on the flavors of those ingredients); of course, low- and no-sugar, or at least no added sugar; taking functionality to another level (examples: Ayurvedic-, adaptogen- or cannabis-driven formulas); continuing to see brands tying their products to the food waste challenge, using produce that might otherwise have been wasted (ugly fruit, pulps, peels and rinds); defining a brand story around innovative sourcing (biodynamic and regenerative farming practices); and, continuing to see more innovation around plant-based and other alternatives to animal proteins. I’m hopeful that this year will also see food service — especially in institutions like schools — as an increasingly viable channel option for more clean-label beverage brands, given the momentum that many have created in the retail market.