CANNAbIS DRINkS mARkeT SCALeS UP FOOD & beveRAGe
As the CBD beverage market increases, Matt Hale, international sales and marketing director at HRS Heat Exchangers considers some of the technical challenges that manufacturers need to overcome to scale-up production.
ingredients like CbD – are one of the fastest growing segments of the beverage category. As with any new and developing market, there
F
are a number of start-up companies without a traditional food manufacturing background, some of whom will be more successful than others. However, while some of the hype around the market and the products is reducing, there is no doubt about the potential for profit. Those companies which want to have long-term
success will need to efficiently scale-up production while maintaining the physical and chemical characteristics which make their products unique and desirable. Learning from existing beverage manufacturers about the best processing options for pasteurisation, cooling or filling will be essential to achieving prolonged success.
unctional drinks and drinks based on plant extracts – in particular, those containing cannabis- or hemp-derived
Heat exchangers are widely used to cool or pasteurise drinks
WHAt iS CBD? CbD (cannabidiol) is a chemical extracted from hemp and marijuana plants (Cannabis sativa L.). While CbD is an active ingredient in cannabis, it does not cause the ‘high’ or psychoactive effects associated with the chemical THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) which is also found in the plants. CbD used for food and drink products is
usually taken from hemp oil due to the lower levels of THC. Although medical studies are inconclusive, some of the claimed benefits of CbD include reducing inflammation, improving relaxation and better focus. With so much potential, it is easy to see why many are hailing hemp as the next superfood. In general, the term hemp refers to low-THC
forms of cannabis, which are still capable of producing CbD and other cannabinoid compounds, as opposed to high-THC forms, commonly known as marijuana. As well as referring to the botanical name of the plant, the term cannabis describes a drug which contains numerous compounds including CbD and THC. For product manufacturers and developers, the challenge is to provide the positive benefits of CbD without the other negative effects of cannabis.
MARkEt oppoRtunitiES Around the world projected valuations for the recreational CbD products (as opposed to medical markets) have recently been revised downwards as investors begin to workout which start-ups are feasible long-term businesses and which have no experience and no revenue. However, the demand is clear. For example, in US states where cannabis is legal for recreational use, drinks make up 15 per cent of purchased cannabis products, and around the world one-in-four consumers say they would be willing to try cannabis-infused drinks. However, even with such healthy scepticism,
the global cannabis drinks market is predicted to treble in value by 2024, reaching US$1.82bn by the end of 2020, and US$5.8bn within four years. This growth is seen across every segment of the drinks industry, from alcoholic drinks to wellness beverages and everyday drinks like tea and coffee. Large global brands including Ab Inbev and molson Coors have announced plans to produce CbD-containing products, and while the global impacts of COvID-19 have slowed some aspects of product development and marketing, there is no doubt that a huge market remains untapped. entering this market is not for the faint-
hearted. Different stages of market development, recognition and approval around the world present challenges to the development of a large market with common standards. The limitations and prohibitions on different products in different countries (and even states) prevent the export of even successful products from one region to another without
14 APRIL 2021 | FACTORY&HANDLINGSOLUTIONS
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54
