January Marks Store Brands Month
January 1st marked the official start to the nationwide awareness campaign, Store Brands Month. Created by the Private Label Manufacturers Association (PLMA) the industry-wide, consumer-focused project spotlights the quality, innovation, and value of store brand products. Store Brands Month serves to educate consumers on the large amount of private label products that are available across several retail formats, including supermarkets, club and convenience stores, drug chains, mass merchants, and online platforms during a time when shoppers are looking for smarter ways to save money, post holiday spending. Retailers, wholesalers, and suppliers who participate in the campaign create awareness through in-store signage, digital promotions, email marketing, and social media campaigns encouraging shoppers to explore, try, and buy store brands.
Last September, we took a look at the future trends and opportunities within the private label market in our 2026 Contract Manufacturing & Private Label Trend Report. With 2024 serving as a benchmark year for private label sales, according to the PLMA, the private label market was expected to reach $277 billion in sales in 2025. Peggy Davies, President of the PLMA, shared her thoughts on the opportunities that still remained within the unprecedented growing segment stating: “The quality, value and innovation that store brands provide can’t be beat.”
HOWTIAN Sheds Light on Future of Energy Drinks
Energy drink companies have shifted their business objective from providing customers with a convenient quick hit of caffeine to creating a product that fits in seamlessly into wellness routines, helping with exercise regiments, work performance, and daily fatigue levels. This change from occasional stimulant to daily-use wellness beverage is thoroughly explained in Recharging the Category: Energy Drinks Have an Energy Problem, a contributed thought-leadership piece from HOWTIAN. According to the article, the energy drink space has been influenced by factors like increased consumer inspection towards sugar, stimulant load, and ingredient quality, which have contributed to the overall markets change towards better-for-you formulations.
With references to research from Innova's Now & Next in RTD Sports, Protein & Energy Drinks report, the think piece spotlights several factors that have caused energy drink brands to rethink their entire approach. With the last 20 years of innovation centering around branding, flavor, and caffeine delivery, influencers like sodas and juices losing their relevance amongst health-conscious consumers and the dwindling appeal of short energy burst products have led to changes in company branding approaches and product formulation updates. "Products designed for short bursts of stimulation no longer hold up when consumers expect clarity, endurance, and balance, rather than jitters, crashes, or metabolic fallout. Growing concern over ingredient quality is compressing the window for brands to adapt as energy drinks move closer to daily use," read the report. For a full version of the report, visit howtiangroup.com
AHP Publishes Executive Summary of Kava Monograph
Non-profit (c)(3) educational organization, American Herbal Pharmacopoeia (AHP), has released its Monograph and Therapeutic Compendium for kava rhizome and root. A project that began in the early 2000s, the monograph addresses issues of concern regarding the botanical including its potential for liver toxicity. Created and reviewed by several leading kava researchers, the article is a collection of data clinical and pre-clinical studies, meta analyses, and systematic reviews discussing the safety and effectiveness of the anti-anxiety botanical and looks to serve as the most comprehensive and up-to-date resource on the botanical.
“The AHP Kava Monograph represents a gold standard in botanical reference works, combining rigorous phytochemical analysis, traditional use documentation, and modern safety data. It exemplifies the depth and quality of research needed to advance evidence-based evaluation of herbal medicines. This comprehensive resource will serve researchers, healthcare professionals, and regulatory agencies alike as a definitive guide to Piper methysticum," shared Dr. Paula Brown of the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT).
Aronia Berries Continue to be Leading Wellness Booster Choice
The functional superfruit, aronia berry, is growing in popularity amongst consumers who are seeking out natural, nutrient-dense, antioxidant-rich foods to help support their long-term wellness. This increase in demand has led to companies like American Aronia Accelerator (A3) to rely on its expansive network of American aronia berry farmers and suppliers to make the its availability as a whole berry, powder, juice, and extract.
“Consumers are rethinking health from the ground up and choosing solutions rooted in real nutrition rather than quick fixes,” said Blake Johnson, A3 CEO. “Aronia is one of the most powerful berries on the planet, yet it remained overlooked in the United States for far too long. We are changing that by making pure, whole berry aronia accessible to households and wellness innovators alike. When people feel the difference it makes in energy, balance, and resilience, it quickly becomes part of their everyday routine.”
RCS Expands Into U.S.
Clinical research and development support services provider, RCS-RamAayanaM Clinical Solution has announced its formal expansion into the United States. The establishing of RCS U.S. will allow the company to work closely with biopharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and technology-driven clinical innovators and help sponsors with study design, site strategy, operational oversight, data-driven planning, and global development programs. To assist with the ushering of its new strategic development, the company has appointed Kimberly Summers as Chief Revenue Officer and Treasurer. Summers, an executive with over 25 years experience driving multimillion-dollar growth, building commercial infrastructures, and leading cross-functional teams across clinical research, nutraceutical, and life science markets will oversee commercial strategy, revenue operations, sponsor engagement, financial stewardship, and the expansion of the company’s clinical research solutions portfolio.
“This is a pivotal moment for our industry as sponsors accelerate development of their next breakthroughs,” said Summers. “RCS is committed to delivering collaborative, high-integrity solutions that help our partners achieve successful clinical outcomes. I look forward to supporting our growth in the U.S. and advancing our mission.”
Cyvex Nutrition Announces Partnership with SloIron
Cyvex Nutrition has entered into a strategic sales partnership with SloIron Inc. to distribute the company's first plant-based ferritin iron ingredient. For consumers who struggle with traditional iron supplements due to gastrointestinal side effects, SloIron offers a plant-based ferritin complex solution derived entirely from legumes and built around the body’s natural ferritin-iron structure. Formulators and brands in the market for a consumer-friendly alternative to iron salts and chelates can benefit from SloIron's neutral taste and odor, compatibility with vitamins, minerals, and other active ingredients, and strong formulation flexibility for a wide range of applications.
“Partnering with SloIron Inc. allows us to bring an innovative, plant-based iron solution to brands and formulators,” shared Matthew Phillips, President of Cyvex. “SloIron is the answer for companies seeking an iron ingredient that combines efficacy with tolerability, helping improve consumer compliance and supporting successful product development.”
Eat Happy Kitchen Reaches Milestone
Fans of the gluten-free, sugar-free, and filler free spice blends brand, Eat Happy Kitchen, can now purchase their favorite condiments from all 28 Gelson's Markets locations throughout Southern California. Available in revamped vintage style tins, Gelson's will be offering four spice blends:
- BBQ Dust: A smoky, savory blend with a kick at the end. Eat Happy Kitchen BBQ Dust is designed to work with the fire of your grill to bring the flavor of meats, fish, and veggies to life.
- Taco Dust: A blend of savory, earthy, and spicy notes that can be used on ground meat, roasts, eggs, dips, and shredded chicken for a perfectly balanced taco seasoning flavor with a bit of warmth at the end.
- Ranch Dust: A versatile blend that can be made into a centerpiece dip, a creamy dressing, or anything in between. Add the seasoning to chicken and fish before grilling, or sprinkle over steamed or roasted veggies for a flavor kick.
- Salt Dust: An all-purpose seasoning that can be used in any instance where you might use salt and pepper, from seasoning meats, fish, veggies, dressings, and marinades, to enhancing flavors in soups and stews, and even as a clean replacement for bouillon cubes.
“We’re not just selling spices, we’re selling a feeling,” said Anna Vocino, Founder and CEO, Eat Happy Kitchen. “These tins are a wink to the past and a promise that what’s inside is as clean and craveable as it gets. I want people to feel something when they reach for our blends, and now they will.”
The expansion news come shortly after the woman-owned company announced its line of pasta sauces would be available at 650 Kroger-owned locations. Eat Happy Kitchen spice blends are also available at 18 Harmons Neighborhood Grocer locations throughout Utah.
