Socati unveils CBD-infused products for hot drinks

27 Feb 2020 --- Single-serve cannabidiol (CBD)-infused products for coffee and other hot beverages are forming the latest range from Socati. The cannabinoid ingredient producer will first roll out its water-dispersible coffee “brightener” and a natural sweetener, both of which contain customizable levels of high-purity broad spectrum CBD. The private label offerings are packaged as single-serve stick packs and will first focus on North America, with Europe to follow. Future products in Socati’s hot and cold CBD beverage line are expected to be launched in the coming months.

“Development efforts primarily focused on getting the CBD evenly dispersed in the water. Considerable efforts also went into sourcing natural non-GMO ingredients and controlling the CBD bitterness without impacting the coffee profile,” Mark Elfenbein, Chief Revenue Officer at Socati, tells NutritionInsight.

The sugar and dairy-free powdered formulas from the new beverage-focused line include:

• CBD Coffee Brightener: Unflavored, unsweetened and rapidly dissolving powder stick pack brightens coffee, pairing well with both dairy or non-dairy additives.
• CBD Coffee Sweetener: Madagascar vanilla brown sugar flavored, rapidly dissolving powder stick pack. Sweetened naturally with stevia and monk fruit.

“Co-developed by our formulations team and partners in the F&B industry, the products not only offer consumers a simple way to take high-purity CBD but also improve the taste and experience of their favorite premium, artisan coffees. With over 80 percent of Millennials using additives in their coffee such as milk, sweeteners or flavorings, the addressable market for these products is significant,” says Socati CEO Josh Epstein.

Elfenbein further explains that the non-flavored version can be added to any beverage base and that the company can customize applications, such as for protein shakes. “However, we are specifically targeting coffee as it’s the most popular and most consumed beverage in North America and Europe. We also have a focus on tea-bags, mass-produced beverage lines and any primarily water-based product categories.”

This move comes as CBD has been the focus of remarkable attention from consumers and businesses alike.CBD flourishes
This move closely follows Socati’s launch of another private label lineup of customizable cannabinoid products last month. The offerings range from including CBD to minor cannabinoids, such as cannabigerol (CBG) and cannabinol (CBN), and are available in crystalized flavored powder, gummies, tinctures, softgels, pressed tablets and two-piece capsules.

Late last year, the company also highlighted its integration of advanced microencapsulation technology from the F&B space into applications within the hemp-derived ingredients market. 

This comes as CBD has been the focus of remarkable attention from consumers and businesses alike. According to Innova Market Insights, there are five times more food and beverage launches tracked globally with “CBD” in the ingredient list when comparing 2018 launches and 2019 launches, although growth is from a small base. Additionally, only 7 percent of US consumers have never heard of cannabis/CBD, with 54 percent saying that they were at least familiar with it.

“The consumer need is to have it be simple to integrate cannabinoid wellness into their everyday life. Single-serving price points allow people to discover hemp-based products as opposed to having to purchase a 30 day supply as a start,” explains Epstein. 

CBD has also been flourishing within the personal care industry thanks to its properties such as calming and nourishing the skin. Additionally, CBD supplements may boost skin health from the inside out. 

However, the regulation surrounding CBD has also been brought to the forefront, with the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) recently setting a deadline of March 31, 2021, for CBD companies to provide more information about their products and their contents. Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump requested US$5 million from the FY2021 budget to regulate the CBD industry to allow the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to continue enforcing protection laws safeguarding patients and consumers. 

By Katherine Durrell