The 2013 Natural Products Expo West has descended upon the Anaheim Convention Center, and BevNET is on location to cover the massive event. With a veritable barrage of new products and cutting edge trends in the natural channel, we'll be updating readers with news immediately as it happens.

Held on April 10, Beverage School Chicago presents a unique opportunity for launch-focused beverage entrepreneurs to get an early understanding of the most important issues in the business. The event, which provides participants with the insights of veteran beverage entrepreneurs, executives, suppliers, and other experts, will be a one-day intensive “Beverages 101.”

It may be a disappointing end to a once promising beverage brand, but Pitaya Plus founder Chuck Casano said that discontinuing his company’s line of pitaya drinks is for the best. Casano and his team are now focused on the growth and development of its raw, organic frozen smoothie packs while continuing to support its social mission in working with independent pitaya farmers and single mothers in poverty-stricken communities in Nicaragua.

Offering consumers an alternative to its higher calorie offerings, ALO has introduced a new line of reduced-calorie, reduced-sugar aloe juice drinks. ALO Light is sweetened with a blend of cane sugar, erythritol and stevia and contains 50 percent less sugar and calories than the brand's original line-up of drinks.

With an eye on growing demand for protein drinks, Maverick Brands has introduced a new protein-infused line to its Coco Libre brand of coconut water products. Coco Libre Protein is a blend of organic coconut water and 20 grams of whey and milk protein isolate. The line comes in four flavors - Chocolate, Vanilla, Coffee and Almond - and is packaged in 11 oz. PET bottles.

It was PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi that famously coined the word “drinkify” in reference to the company’s plans to turn some of its snack products into new and innovative beverages. Along the same lines, Nooyi’s CEO counterpart at Mamma Chia, Janie Hoffman, will look to build upon the rapid growth of her brand by – in essence – “snackifying” the company’s line of whole chia seed and juice blends.

Faced with a class-action lawsuit alleging that the company’s ties to disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong resulted in false advertising, FRS today issued a statement furiously denying the claims and vowing to fight the case.

We're gearing up for New Hope Natural Media’s 33nd annual Natural Products Expo West show held this week at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, Calif. Co-located with Engredea and Nutracon, 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 150 in total this year.