Functional beverages: Anuga 2019 companies experimenting with new ingredients

15 Oct 2019 --- Consumers are continuing to look for functional beverages that play into various health-related trends. NutritionInsight spoke to a variety of drink companies on the floor at Anuga 2019 in Cologne, Germany. While some beverages were promoting specific nutrients such as protein or vitamins, others were tapping into broader categories, including hangover cures. New ingredients such as hemp and cocoa bean shells also are helping to attract a new audience.

“Consumers have had enough of conventional food and drinks and want a healthier diet. At the same time, they want to send a signal against today’s social problems, such as the waste of resources,” says Dayog Kabore, Founder and CEO of kōkōjoo. The start-up was won Anuga’s Food Start-Up Award in the Drinks category for its first product, Pelure de Cacao, which is made from a cocoa bean shell infusion. It is touted as being rich in antioxidants and minerals, low in calories and sugar, vegan and completely natural.

Pelure de Cacao is made from a cocoa bean shell infusion.“We were presenting Pelure de Cacao as our first mover. kōkōjoo is the world’s first comprehensive cocoa-based trademark. It shows the diversity of cocoa and presents the superfood at its best. Our vision is the transformation of the complete cocoa pod into new innovative food and lifestyle products, also to contribute to reducing waste of resources. In this process, the company relies on a partial relocation of the production chain to the countries of origin of its core raw materials,” explains Kabore.

Swiss company FluidFocus launched its protein water to compliment Focus Water, its vitamin water range. The protein drinks are made with whey and are available in a caffeinated variety. They contain 7.5g of protein, 1.8g of branched-chain amino acids, B vitamins and have no sugar or carbohydrates.

Tapping into a broader functional area, SpaceLab showcased its range of beverages, including Alcohol Killer, which helps aid metabolize alcohol quicker. The drink is touted as protecting the liver and other organs from exposure to dangerous acetaldehyde as well as protecting cells from negative oxidative stress. It has been clinically tested against a placebo and uses natural ingredients. Vitalizing drink Bancai was also on display, as well as Bad Sex Killer, which is touted as being a “sexy lifestyle drink for extra lust, power and joy.”FluidFocus launched its protein water to compliment Focus Water.

Distancing hemp from CBD
Meanwhile, Hemponade was also promoting its drink as a “functional food with lots of positive benefits. Functional foods promote optimal health and help reduce the risk of disease. As our consciousness for healthy food grows, we are increasingly seeking to promote health through nutritional means.” In addition to containing 3 percent cold-pressed hemp juice, the drink also has grape juice for sweetness and lime juice for freshness. 

“We use authentic ingredients with no additives or chemicals. We meet a range of market trends from sustainability to transparency,” says Marc Wibbels, Managing Director of Hemponade. The juice contains a wide range of vitamins, minerals and enzymes such as calcium, zinc, vitamins A, E and B12, magnesium, phosphorus, selenium and iron, according to the company.

Hemponade is not promoting its naturally-occurring CBD content.However, Hemponade is not promoting its naturally-occurring CBD content. Instead, the company chooses to promote in terms of taste and emotion, with a slogan of “doing good, being happy.” Wibbels explains that this has benefited the company as there are still people in major markets who do not know about CBD. “We still don’t know exactly what CBD does, and we don’t want to promote something we can’t be sure of.” 

Notably, Wibbels references an incident in Austria half a year ago where many foods infused with CBD (and promoted as such) were taken off the shelves. However, Hemponade was unscathed and remained for sale. “We are approved and not considered novel because we don’t extract or infuse CBD. We are 100 percent natural – hemp is an old form of food.”

Meanwhile, Dutch start-up Tranz was also at Anuga and explained how its Sparkling CBD Water contains pharma-grade cannabis oil that allows it to be commercialized in Europe. In the EU, the use of CBD in food and beverage launches is not yet permitted, as CBD is considered an unauthorized novel food. Regulatory updates are pending to allow manufacturers to use it in food and beverage applications. However, Tranz’s CBD-infused water overcomes this hurdle as it uses pharma-grade cannabis oil, which has a more nuanced use. 

Anuga was also rife with products linked to the beauty from within trend, which is giving rise to food and nutraceutical products designed to help consumers meet their skin health and wellness targets. Meanwhile, Blue Diamond Growers highlighted that the plant-based trend is boosting the almond business globally, particularly with an increased interest in almond milk, almond flour and almond protein. 

By Katherine Durrell