Among other innovations, functional beverages (and lots of them) are expected to highlight  Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, CA, this year, according to strategy and branding firm MarketPlace, which will be exhibiting at the event for the first time (Booth 2820).

“If you’re looking for the products that are driving the biggest shifts in-market and on-shelf, just walk the aisles at Expo West,” MarketPlace President Tracy Landau said. “We love nothing more than ideating, incubating, and innovating alongside progressive brands—Expo West is the place to do that. Our role as brand strategists is critical in this crowded space; we connect consumers to better products that will enrich their lives and drive growth for our partners.”

New and diverse functional beverages are among MarketPlace’s top expectations for this year’s show.

“We’re predicting 2023 to be the big year for functional beverages—and particularly those that provide sustained, non-stimulative energy, focus, and brain health,” Landau said. “We’re also anticipating a satisfying next-generation take on the zero-proof beverages that swept the show and shelves in 2022. This time we’re expecting a more sophisticated variety of flavors and spirits, with an emphasis on those that have a ‘health halo’ like green tea and matcha.”

MarketPlace’s 2022 consumer research concluded that nearly half (48%) of supplement consumers reported they would consume a functional beverage every day or almost every day if it contained the benefits or ingredients they would seek in supplements.

The beverage category was the third most popular format behind gummies and pills. Energy was the fastest-growing need-state when comparing 2022 data with the results of a similar survey conducted in 2020, increasing by 20%.

The firm’s other predictions for Expo West and beyond include:

• Even more celebrity-founded wellness and personal care brands;
• Carbon footprint labeling;
• Upcycled and/or regeneratively farmed botanicals and teas;
• TikTok-inspired pre-made sauces and meal kits;
• Convincing plant-based seafoods and cheeses.

• Brightseed (Booth 4379), the bioactives and artificial intelligence-based discovery company.
• Kyowa Hakko USA (Booth 3870), the manufacturer of globally recognized functional ingredients Cognizin and IMMUSE.
• Merit Functional Foods (booth 1492), a globally renowned supplier of high-quality pea and canola protein.