Organic beverages have a thirst for innovation

Organic remains the driver of the overall food market, growing at 6.4 percent in 2017 compared to a paltry 1.1 percent growth rate for the non-organic sector. And the bright star of the entire organic category may well be organic beverages, which continued its multi-year double-digit growth streak, rising 10.5 percent in 2017, to $5.9 billion, according to the Organic Trade Association (OTA). That makes organic beverages the No. 3 category in all of organic, behind fresh produce and dairy and eggs.

The main driver of the organic beverages category is fresh juices—sales here rose 25 percent, to $1.2 billion, in 2017. Nondairy organic beverage alternatives in the form of almond, soy, coconut, rice and other blends also gained popularity in 2017.

Beverages as a whole remains an area ripe for innovation. That’s because drinks are seen as an effective way of doing more than just quenching thirst, but also providing health benefits.

Opportunities abound to supercharge functional beverages with functional ingredients, from probiotics and protein to botanicals and healthy fats.

And with the rise of the powders category, there’s almost no end to the diversity of product formulation combinations being rolled out around the world.

High-pressure processing (HPP) is also still topping trends—the premium, high-dollar processing method is said to better retain the taste and nutrients of all those organic fruits and veggies within.

With so much innovation action in not just healthy beverages but in particular the organic beverages category, we want to hear from you! The 7th annual SupplySide CPG Editor’s Choice Awards recognizes the best finished products launched to the U.S. consumer market between July 2017 and August 2018 in 30 categories across the supplement, food and beverage markets. Enter in the Organic Beverage category.

Products must be submitted by the CPG brands or their representatives, not by ingredient suppliers. The submission deadline is Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2018.

Winners are selected by the editors based on market innovation, consumer need, scientific substantiation, integrity and the “cool” factor. Finalists will be showcased through the SupplySide Health & Nutrition Network brands, and winners announced at SupplySide West in Las Vegas, Nov. 6-10, 2018.