The show (Jan 19-21) featured thousands of new launches across food and beverage, championing innovative products and helping expand consumption of specialty foods. More than 80,000 products were on display in total.
Teapigs cold brew tea
Premium UK tea brand Teapigs expanded its cold brew offerings with the launch of the Peach & Mango flavor. It joins Lychee & Rose and Cucumber & Apple. Packaged in compostable, biodegradable corn starch mesh bags, tea is meant to be brewed in cold water for 10 minutes.
The UK market has shown more interest than the US in flavored water infusion drinks, according to the brand. But the US likes packaged ice tea products, which overlaps with the Teapigs Cold Brew.
The US consumer is coming around to tea as a function in new health and wellness diets. Rather than traditional black tea, it’s the specialized herbal blends, green teas and high quality black teas that are growing the most.
Sunwink herbal tonic
Four flavors of Sunwink’s Sparkling Herbal Tonics launched in 2019, made only from plant-based ingredients. Detox Ginger, Immunity Berry, Lemon-Rose Uplift and Turmeric Cleanse all sampled at WFFS.
Lemon-Rose is designed as a mood booster, and Turmeric Cleanse is a circulatory stimulant, fitting into the ‘wellness tonic’ space. The company is based out of San Francisco and products are found in a few Whole Foods regions and specialty stores.
The Herbal Tonics are positioned as a healthy alternative to kombucha or soda, and consumers are using it as an enhanced water, according to Sunwink. There will be a new flavor launching in 2020 as a collaboration project.
Co-founders Eliza Timpson and Jordan Schenck said they made Sunwink to “nourish and re-energize the human connection between ourselves and the planet,” and for ‘daily doses of self care.’
Elmhurst flavored plant milk
Plant-based milk alternative brand Elmhurst 1925 has new flavored multi-serves. Milked Oats Chocolate contains 20g of whole grains per serving and Milked Hemp Vanilla contains 14g per serving.
Elmhurst also sells plant milks with bases from almonds, cashews, hazelnuts and walnuts, but their oat and hemp bases are an effort to create nut and allergen-free options.
Peter Truby, CMO at Elmhurst, said “After much demand from consumers and retailers for additional flavors in our lineup, we’re excited to debut our first chocolate-flavored plant-based milk, Milked Oats Chocolate, along with our new Milked Hemp Vanilla.”
“Following the overwhelming popularity of our Hemp Creamers, we’re happy to bring a sippable, everyday hemp milk that’s better-tasting than what’s currently on the market to those looking for a better-for-you option to traditional dairy, alongside a chocolate oat milk that’s a guilt-free indulgence that kids will love.”
The Republic of Tea
Eight new tea blends were on display at WFFS from The Republic of Tea. The existing Beautifying Botanicals Collection added Clean Beauty and Aloe Berry Iced, and a Vietnamese Cinnamon Tea joined the Super Herb Tea line.
The new SuperDigest Collection is positioned for gut health, and launched Hibiscus Beet Ginger, Honeybush Vanilla Turmeric, Cacao Cinnamon Pu-Erh and Green Pu-Erh.
Kristina Richens Tucker, minister of enlightenment and commerce at The Republic of Tea, said “The SuperDigest Teas are brimming with premium, organic, fermented ingredients to maximize digestive benefits with added probiotics, while the skin-detoxing Beautifying Botanicals Clean Beauty Tea and hydrating Berry Aloe Iced Tea support a variety of wellness benefits such as anti-aging, cleansing and inflammation."
"The organic Vietnamese Cinnamon Tea has a warming sweet-spicy profile and is aimed at helping to improve heart health and reduce blood sugar."
Remedy organic keto smoothies
Plant-based smoothie brand Remedy Organics has a new keto line hitting retail soon.
Available in Vanilla, Chocolate and Cold Brew, the new keto drinks are made from a base of coconut milk and contain MCT oil and prebiotics.
Each 12oz bottle contains 16g of protein, between 0-1g of sugar and 4-5g of net carbs.
They join Remedy’s core line of seven smoothies--Super Chai Fuel, Cacao Essentials, Vanilla Essentials, Matcha Oxidants, Blue Oxidants, Berry Power and Golden Mind.
Niwri coffee smoothie
A new line of RTD coffee smoothies previewed at WFFS from the White Coffee Corp.
They are made with plant protein and will be available in Orange Pineapple & Peach, Cucumber & Watermelon, and Pistachio.
Each 16 fl oz (473ml) serving contains 10g of protein, and the drinks are non-dairy and gluten-free.
Moringa might
Moringa-leaf-fuled brand Kuli Kuli is now in around 11,000 stores including Walmart, Safeway and CVS.
At this year’s Winter Fancy Food Show it showcased its new wellness shots, which feature ingredients from camu camu to ashwaganha.
Numi drinking chocolate
US organic tea brand Numi had its new functional sleep teas and premium drinking chocolates on show at the WFFS.
Numi, which was founded in 1999 in California, is shifting from its position as a purely tea company to a wellness-focused beverage company.
Sweet Slumber is a new tea line with valerian root, hopes, passionflower, chamomile and lavender. Numi Drinking Chocolates are crafted from pure organic cacao blended with organic cocoa butter.
