NPEW 2018

ANAHEIM, Calif. (March 9, 2018), LIVE Soda, a brand known as the “gateway kombucha,” expands beyond kombucha into shelf-stable soda. The move into the soda aisle signifies the brand’s dedication to offering consumers a better alternative to sugary or artificially sweetened Carbonated Soft Drinks (CSDs).

The Austin-based company launches the first ever shelf-stable probiotic soda in Q2. Fortified with a billion probiotics and sweetened with monk fruit extract, this new zero-calorie, zero-sugar alternative to diet sodas fills a white space need in the declining CSD category. This groundbreaking line will debut at Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim (Booth 5350) with popular flavors like Cola, Root Beer, Ginger,Lemon-Lime and Doctor.

Sugar-sweetened beverages are the single largest source of added sugars in the American diet¹, with the average American drinking nearly 42 gallons of sweetened beverages a year, the equivalent of 39 pounds of extra sugar every year. ² “Our mission is to provide a zero sugar, great-tasting alternative to sugary drinks with the added benefit of probiotics that promote overall wellness and gut health,” said Founder and CEO Trevor Ross.

The biggest challenge in creating a zero sugar, zero calorie beverage is taste. LIVE sweetened its line of zero sugar sodas with monk fruit extract; an appealing alternative to stevia, which suffers from negative perceptions of having a bitter or unpleasant aftertaste. The flavors are crafted using a blend of non-GMO natural spices.

Because LIVE Soda represents gut health, LIVE probiotic soda offers over a billion probiotics per 12oz can. Consuming over a billion probiotics will help support healthy gut functions, stimulate normal microflora in the gut, promote digestive health, and a healthy gastrointestinal (GI) tract which will support digestion.

The Natural Products Expo West will take place from March 9-11 at the Anaheim Convention Center located at 800 West Katella Avenue Anaheim, CA 92802. LIVE Soda invites attendees to stop by Booth 5350 to experience its better-for-you beverages. LIVE Soda will also showcase at the Fresh Ideas Organic Pavilion on Thursday, March 8. For more information on the show, please visit www.expowest.com.

LIVE Soda’s probiotic soda is available in select natural and conventional stores for a retail price of $4.99 for a 12 oz 6-pack. For more information on LIVE Soda please visit www.LIVEsoda.com or connect with them on Instagram at @LIVESoda.

###

About LIVE Soda
LIVE Soda began in Austin, Texas, as one man's mission to improve the health of his family by crafting a kombucha that tasted like soda. LIVE Soda has grown since then, but their passion for making great-tasting, better-for-you beverages hasn’t changed a bit. As a matter of fact, it’s grown! Beginning with the inception in 2012, this will be the companies third product offering under the LIVE Soda umbrella. Starting off with kombucha then breaking into the sparkling drinking vinegars, now the probiotic soda will be the companies first offering in the non-refrigerated isle. LIVE Soda is available in more than 6,000 stores nationwide including Whole Foods Market, Kroger, Safeway/Albertson’s, HEB and many more. For more information, please visit www.LIVEsoda.com.

1: Welsh JA, Sharma AJ, Grellinger L, Vos MB. Consumption of added sugars is decreasing in the United States. Am J Clin Nutr. 2011;94(3):726-734.
2: Babey SH, Jones M, Yu H, Goldstein H. Bubbling Over: Soda Consumption and Its Link to Obesity in California. UCLA Center for Health Policy Research and California Center for Public Health Advocacy, 2