A well-designed legal label can make your honey stand out at farmers markets, roadside stands and in upscale shops. It can also help you tell your honey story to your customers and friends.
Private label manufacturing allows you to control the price and marketing while reducing your development costs. You can get high-profit margins.
Natural Sweetener
Sweeteners can be used in a variety of ways to enhance the flavor of food and drinks. They may also be added to a variety of beauty and skincare formulations. However, not all sweeteners are created equal and some can actually harm the body in various ways. For example, refined sugar is linked to health issues such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes and certain cancers.
Other natural sweeteners like maple syrup and agave nectar offer healthier alternatives to sugar that are packed with antioxidants. Additionally, they can help reduce the stress on honeybee colonies.
Another popular choice is stevia, which provides a low-calorie non-nutritive sweetener with no impact on blood sugar levels. It can also help satisfy a craving for sweetness without over-stimulation of the taste buds. Finally, allulose is a natural sweetener with similar characteristics as sugar but with significantly fewer calories. It is also vegan and gluten-free.
Skincare Ingredient
With so many skincare ingredients out there, it can be difficult to know what to add to your beauty regimen. Some key ingredients are great for specific skin issues, like a retinol to reduce fine lines and wrinkles or niacinamide for hyperpigmentation.
Another ingredient with some major skincare benefits is xanthan gum, which helps to thicken products and create unctuous creams and serums. It also works as a surfactant, which makes products easier to rinse off.
Other popular skincare ingredients include apple cider vinegar, a natural antibacterial that may help fight breakouts; baking soda, which has been used to treat blemishes and acne; and snail mucin, an exfoliant that can be used in place of glycolic acid. If you’re looking to start incorporating these into your skincare routine, it’s best to speak with an esthetician before starting anything new. Adding too much product to your skin can cause irritation and even worsen skin problems.
Beverage Ingredient
Manufacturer of organic and non-gmo food products. Offers ingredients for beverages including agave syrup, coconut oil, fruit juice concentrates, jams and jellies and honey. Also carries salves, soaps, oils, dietary supplements and other health-related items. Private label manufacturing and formulation services are provided.
Depending on the type of nectar honey is made from, it can taste fruity, smokey, floral or earthy. It can also vary in scent and color from light to dark. To address concerns about the source of honey sold in stores, a number of retailers and clubs have partnered with True Source Honey to ensure their store brands only contain certified domestic or imported honey.
MeliBio, founded in 2020, has developed a plant-based honey ingredient for retail and foodservice use. The product is designed to look, taste and perform like traditional honey, earning it the SIAL Innovation Selection 2022 award. It has already been selected by retailer Target to be carried under its Good & Gathering store brand.
Food Ingredient
There are many private label honey alternatives that can be used as spreads, in tea or as sweeteners. Erythritol, for example, is low-glycemic and has fewer calories than honey. It is a natural sweetener that’s often recommended for diabetics and others who avoid sugar.
Another option is plant-based honey that is made without bees. MeliBio, a start-up founded in 2020 by scientist Aaron Schaller and honey industry executive Darko Mandich, has developed such a product and says it is indistinguishable from standard honey in blind taste tests. The company is partnering with Narayan Foods to bring its Better Foodie plant-based honey line into 75,000 European stores.
A growing number of consumers are seeking dietary-specific private labels that boast attributes such as gut health, energy and immune support. At the recent Private Label Trade Show, Winsight Grocery Business spotted several manufacturers of such products. (Click to read about other trends and new products spotted at the show.)