Since 1981, Ginseng Up has been on the lips of loyal followers throughout the Caribbean eager to get their daily dose of ginseng. This botanical extract has been a nutritional supplement in Asian diets for more than 6,000 years and is believed to boost energy, relieve stress and improve memory. Now, after 30 years of popularity overseas, the Rockleigh, N.J. -based namesake company is rolling out Ginseng Up throughout the United States.
Honeydrop Beverages, New York, a producer of natural teas and juices made with a spoonful of honey, is growing its product range. “We are really excited to add three new, fresh brewed teas to the Honeydrop line,” says David Luks, CEO and founder. “We continue to work towards our goal of creating low-calorie beverages that taste great without using any refined sugars, artificial sweeteners or chemicals. Following the launch of our first three flavors, we listened closely to consumer feedback and developed a plan to introduce a series of simple, more traditional teas, which led to the introduction of our new Lemon, Lemon Ginger and Green Tea options.”
PepsiCo Inc., Purchase, N.Y., is exploring the addition of “tea” to its very popular lower-calorie Trop50 beverage line. The new product concepts in test market include Peach with White Tea, Pear Lychee with White Tea and Raspberry with Green Tea. All three new concepts claim to contain 50% less sugar and calories than juice blends. The beverages rely on a stevia-based sweetener, which allows for a “no artificial sweetener” claim.
Win Schuler Foods, Southfield, Mich., introduced Lia Marie’s Original Garlic Spread and Five Cheese Garlic Spread. Both spreads, which are made with butter and cheese, among other ingredients, are available in 12-ounce tubs and merchandised near butter in the refrigerated dairy case.
Manipulating texture is the latest rage when it comes to creating a point of differentiation in the crowded drinkable yogurt category. In Brazil, Coop, a global chain of supermarkets, introduces private label Whipped Part Skimmed Drinking Yogurt with Honey. The whipped texture adds a new dimension to the category.
Ehrmann USA LLC, Mishawaka, Ind., a subsidiary of the family-owned German dairy Ehrmann AG, entered the U.S. dairy market with the rollout of All Natural Lowfat Bavarian Yogurt.
A line of innovative fluid milk products branded Borden Life! debuted in Houston in four unique formulations: Calcium, Fiber, Multi-Vitamin and Protein. Developed by the Borden Dairy Co., Dallas, each formulation is supercharged with vitamins, minerals or select nutrients with well-recognized health and nutritional benefits.
Alpina Foods LLC, Miami, is the recently established U.S. subsidiary of Alpina, a leading dairy-producing company in South America with global headquarters in Colombia. For almost a decade, the company has been importing an array of Hispanic-style dairy products into the United States. In 2012, Alpina will begin manufacturing yogurt from its newly built plant in Batavia, N.Y. This opens doors for innovations that will help grow its consumer base beyond the U.S. Hispanic population.