5 Clean Label Solutions for Elite Athlete Energy Drink: Winning with Whole Foods!

Situation

An Olympic Gold medalist approached me to improve their energy drink product specifically targeting elite sports athletes. Whole Foods Market was interested in placing an order, however the energy drink needed to be “clean label” before they could proceed. The client also wanted to improve the taste.

Problem

The main challenge was to enhance the existing energy drink to meet the “clean label” requirements while improving the taste. My tasks involved creating five clean label versions of the energy drink, sourcing suitable ingredients, conducting scientific research, and determining the nutritional content for each of the five beverage variants.

Solution

I researched and developed a new recipe, ensuring clean label compliance. Physical samples of the five SKUs were produced, and an organoleptic analysis assessed their aspects. I delivered detailed recipes and an Excel sheet for flexible ingredient quantity calculations.

Additionally, I created formulas in an Excel sheet to determine and show the cost of goods (COGs) at various batch sizes and provided a list of potential co-manufacturers for efficient and cost-effective production.

Benefits

• Clean label compliance, creating a potential sales channel.
• Improved flavors and outcomes, leading to increased investor support.
• Cost analysis and production options streamlined market launch and reduced costs.
• Enhanced Market Reach to elite athletes and health-conscious consumers.

For more information, contact Carolina Vazquez Mitchell at 213.769.7843 or [email protected].