Botanical ingredients added to fruit juice is a growing trend, says FruitSmart: 2023 Natural Products Expo West Preview

Photo © AdobeStock.com/Brent Hofacker

FruitSmart Inc. (Prosser, WA), a supplier of fruit- and vegetable-based juices and ingredients, will showcase its blending capabilities at March’s Natural Products Expo West trade show in Anaheim, CA, Booth #N1447. In particular, the company will highlight its ability to add botanical ingredients to fruit juices, which it highlights as a growing trend.

According to the company’s press release, “FruitSmart has identified rising demand for fruit juice and botanical combinations as a major new trend in the healthy-beverage space…” The company says consumers are now looking for products with additional wellness beverages, including fruit juice, which more consumers view as a “permissible indulgence” today. Juices with added botanicals can offer benefits for energy and stress reduction, as well as contributing novel flavors, for instance.

At the show, the company will demonstrate several drink prototypes, including: 1) an immunity drink combining apple, raspberry, cherry, and blueberry juices with turmeric, ginger, acai, and vanilla extracts, 2) a blend of apple and beetroot juice with red and black pepper, and 3) a raspberry smoothie with protein and fiber.

The company adds: “Working with 31 fruits, FruitSmart is a leading producer of juice concentrates and Not From Concentrates. It also has access to a wide range of botanical extracts, vegetable powders, and flavors through its sister companies, Shank’s and Silva International.”

In the press release, Wayne Lutomski, president of FruitSmart, added, “The positioning of fruit juices has undergone a fascinating journey. They were once seen as the ultimate health product, before concerns about sugar content and ultra-processing removed a little shine from the halo. In the new phase of their evolution, we’re going to see more products that combine a novel experience with sought-after wellness benefits. Blending juices with botanicals is a great way to meet this need, and FruitSmart is the ideal partner to help you do it. We have the expertise and the resources to combine juices with botanicals, juices with flavors, juices with vegetable powders, and juices with other juices.”