FDA's proposed mandatory GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) notification rule could reshape how functional food and beverage brands bring products to market. On Thursday, November 5 at 2:30 p.m. ET, Venable attorneys Todd Harrison and Claudia Lewis will cover which ingredients may be affected, who's responsible for filing, what it means for existing products, and steps companies should consider taking now. Live Q&A included. https://www.cpgmedia.com/webinars/gras-under-pressure-what-fda-s-proposed-rule-means-for-functional-foods-and-beve

Call it a sports drink second-act. 

John Celenza has already earned the proverbial entrepreneur’s trophy: after a decade of hard work, BioSteel, the Canadian hydration brand he co-founded in 2009 with former NHL player Mike Cammalleri, made its exit in 2019. 

These days, Celenza has his eyes on a new goal. He’s guiding his new sports drink venture CWENCH along the same path that helped BioSteel blow up – athlete partnerships, grassroots youth sports, deep ties to pro and amateur hockey leagues – but with one big difference. 

Read the full story on BevNET.

In a complex market, consider these stories on ANA category growth, c-store traffic and the impending hemp ban to parse through the noise…

🍸 Almost one in five (18%) U.S. adults 21 and older drank non-alcoholic beer, wine, spirits, ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktails, or THC-infused beverages in the past six months. Read the full report.

🏪 C-store beverage sales improved quarter-over-quarter in Q3 2026, but despite positive momentum, the year-end outlook declined. Learn more.

❌ Operators in the intoxicating hemp category remain steadfast that a regulatory solution will evolve before or soon after the December 11 ban goes into effect. We spoke to one about the impending ban. Get all of the insight.

Gain full access with BevNET and Nosh Insider.

Today’s functional beverage shoppers aren’t just buying energy or hydration. They’re buying a feeling, like focus to get through the afternoon or a calming ritual to wind down at night.

In this episode, Melissa Traverse sits down with Brittney Strickland, Director of Marketing, Foodservice, and Emily Riha, R&D Scientist, of Vibrant Ingredients. They discuss how “tempo drinking” is reshaping product briefs, how to separate lasting social trends from passing fads, and the real trade-offs behind popular functional ingredients like adaptogens, magnesium and L-theanine. They also cover why flavor has to match function, and what it takes to get a formula from the bench to the production line.

This episode is sponsored by Vibrant Ingredients.

Listen now.

Also available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

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