Functional Food, Drink Arrivals This Winter

This season, suppliers continued to debut functional-driven varieties across food and drinks that promote immunity-boosting qualities.

In late November, Nerd Focus, an energy drink with nootropics (natural, semi-synthetic and synthetic molecules which purportedly improve cognitive functions) and performance-boosting nutrients, struck a deal with Whitehouse, New Jersey-based QuickChek to distribute “The Original Think Drink” to 153 branded c-stores in New Jersey and New York.

“Convenience stores are the go-to places for people on the move to head to when looking for pick-me-ups, and we are excited to kickstart our partnership with QuickChek,” said Rocco LaVista, co-founder of Beverage USA. “Our partnership is more than just about providing clean and effective energy but about expanding our footprint and reaching new audiences.”

Natural Delights partnered with Tajín to launch Medjool Date Strips with Chile Lime—a combination of sweet and spicy, otherwise known as “swicy”—a top trending flavor profile in 2023.

“Part of our strategic efforts to make the category more inclusive include developing innovative products that combine people’s favorite flavor profiles, like sweet and spicy, to give an entry point into the category,” said David Baxter, director of marketing for Natural Delights.

Natural Delights conducted consumer research by third-party “Moms Meet,” where 93% of participants gave the product a four-plus star review and 96% stated that they would recommend it.

Click ahead for a snapshot of several recently released food, shots, mixes and beverage arrivals within convenience.

Heywell (Good Beverage LLC) expanded its lineup with new sparkling water releases that offer a balance of tart and sweet flavor notes. All low in calories and sugar, new Heywell launches include energy + focus sparkling strawberry lemon; energy + lift orange mango; energy + immunity sparkling grapefruit; calm + restore sparkling blackberry ginger; and calm + hydrate sparkling lime.

Natural Delights Medjool Date Strips with Tajín combines a sweet flavor of Medjool dates with chile lime Tajín. The fruit is picked straight off the tree at the peak of ripeness. Medjool dates are ideal for on-the-go snacking.

Monster Energy unveiled a Wild Berry Tea flavor as part of its Rehab Monster lineup. Offering a sweet berry aroma with added functional benefits to restore energy and eliminate fatigue, Wild Berry Tea contains electrolytes, vitamins and botanicals for advanced hydration. The drink has 160 milligrams of caffeine, 25 calories and less than 5 grams of sugar per can.

Bodyarmor Flash I.V. Hydration Boosters (BA Sports Nutrition LLC) deliver active hydration and functionality for on-the-go consumers. Drink mix boosters contain more than 2,200 milligrams of essential electrolytes along with zinc and vitamins B and C, no artificial flavors, sweeteners or dyes and zero sugar. At 15 calories or less per single-serve packet, boosters come in compact single-serve, 6 packs and 15 packs.

Regarded as an alternative to traditional energy shots, Levo Energy + Focus (Clear Cut Brands) combines 75 milligrams of naturally derived caffeine from tea and 75 milligrams of L-theanine, an amino acid that stimulates alpha brain waves associated with increased mental clarity, the manufacturer says. Levo Energy + Focus comes in a convenient two-ounce shot, with flavor options of grape and berry.

Designed to enhance mental performance, focus and acuity, Nerd Focus ready-to-drink and zero-calorie beverage provides benefits of powerful memory-boosting nootropics and performance-boosting nutrients. The proprietary blend of nootropics is formulated with Alpha-GPC, Huperzine-A, DMAE, Ginkgo Biloba and GABA.

Want to learn more about the beverages category? Check out our event CRU in Nashville Feb. 28-March 1, 2024. Sponsors can gain 15 one-to-one meetings with qualified retailers.