Mes: febrero 2021

SAN DIEGO, Feb. 25, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Intelligent Blends, a leader in the manufacture of coffee, tea, elixirs, and functional beverages, has announced the expansion of its robust research and development lab at their San Diego facility. By expanding its capabilities to address the growing consumer interest in functional beverages, the company is poised to offer partners and customers the opportunity to meet consumer needs and expectations while embracing current food and beverage trends and advancements in the market. 

In addition to these exciting product development advancements, the lab is also well equipped to support the company’s growing manufacturing and packaging capabilities. From developing the perfect blends and formulations, to offering a broad selection of packaging options—including K-Cup®, Compatible with Nespresso® capsules, bagged ground and whole bean coffee, creamer bags, and stick packs—Intelligent Blends is delivering even more high-quality, innovative options to customers at every step of their journey.    

The timing for these expanded capabilities could not come at a better time—both for Intelligent Blends as well as the customers and partners they serve. Recent data shows that, with consumers being forced to shelter in place, there has been a 40% surge in non-alcohol sales vs. months prior to 2020. New York-based Nielsen Data reports that sport drinks sales were up 7.9% versus the prior year period; water sales have increased 8% over the same period.

Additionally, people have started looking for in-home beverage options that provide added health and nutritional benefits. In fact, for the 52-week data period cited above, weight control, nutritional liquids and powders netted sales of more than $4 billion—an increase of 5% overall from previous years. By expanding its formulation capabilities to include the rapidly growing soluble powder market, Intelligent Blends is able offer their customers and partners the ability to meet consumers where they are and to introduce new and innovative options for health-minded coffee and tea lovers.

«They say, ‘you are what you eat’, but recent trends indicate it may be time to amend that to include ‘… and drink’,» says Jeff Mcintosh, Head of Intelligent Blends Research and Development. «Today’s health-conscious consumers are not only looking for tasty beverages to quench their thirst, they’re also seeking products containing beneficial and functional ingredients. What started as a project dealing with functional ingredients a few years back, has now turned into a big part of what we do.»

In 2018, the global health ingredients market was valued at $77.3 billion and is projected to increase—at a compound annual growth rate of 7%–to reach $124.1 billion by 2025. Similarly, it’s estimated that the global functional beverage market will see a compound annual growth rate of 8.66% from 2019-2024. Experts attribute these numbers to increased health awareness, specifically in the younger population, which has swayed consumers from fruit juices and carbonated drinks to functional beverages.

To date, Intelligent Blends Research and Development has finalized over 300 individual beverage/food formulations and commercialization–around 70% of which include a functional ingredient. For a company that opened its doors in 2013 as a co-packer for coffee and tea K-Cups®, this is a huge leap and a sign of its continued commitment to high-quality products borne from thoughtful growth and fearless innovation.

Intelligent Blends is a privately held, sustainable manufacturer of single-serve and bagged beverages, including coffees and teas, based in Southern California. The company offers co-packing and hospitality solutions for partners worldwide, while boasting several in-house brands that are distributed through select e-commerce and retail sites. With a commitment to creating high-quality, sustainable options for customers and partners, Intelligent Blends offers unmatchable services and products that are easy and cost-effective, while never losing sight of the infinite possibilities that come from flexibility, innovation and a passion for what you do.

Keurig® and K-Cup® are registered trademarks of Keurig Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. Intelligent Blends and our brands are not affiliated with Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc., or Keurig Inc.

Intelligent Blends and its products are not endorsed by, sponsored by or approved by Nespresso USA, Inc. or any of its affiliates, and Intelligent Blends is not a licensee of Nespresso USA, Inc. or any of its affiliates.  Nespresso® is a registered trademark of Société des Produits Nestlé S.A.

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SOURCE Intelligent Blends

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 25, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Today, leaders of 50 organizations and patient groups announced the formation of the Long COVID Alliance. The Alliance includes a network of patient-advocates, scientists, public health and disease experts, and drug developers who have joined together to leverage their collective knowledge and resources to educate policymakers and accelerate research that will address the challenges faced by ‘COVID long haulers’ and related post-viral illnesses.

Their goal is to transform the current understanding of Long COVID and related post-infectious illnesses such as:  myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), other forms of dysautonomia, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), hypermobility spectrum disorder (HSD) and mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), autoimmune diseases and other related illnesses.

«The Long COVID Alliance is a critical collaboration based on the current reality that doctors and researchers are reporting that millions of COVID-19 patients continue to experience chronic and often debilitating post-viral symptoms. This state of extended illness is presently labeled Long COVID,» said Oved Amitay, Solve M.E. President and Chief Executive Officer, one of the three Alliance founders. «Even though tests might reveal that no virus remains in the body, COVID-19 ‘long haulers’ continue to struggle, often alone. Our community brings past experiences that are relevant to the current crisis.»

In 2020, this same group came together to successfully call for urgent government investments for Long COVID, and $1.15 billion for long-term COVID-19 research at the National Institutes of Health shortly followed. The effort laid the foundation for the new Long COVID Alliance, which will prioritize:

• Health equity and confronting systemic bias and racism in the Long COVID response;
• Facilitating data harmonization (i.e., combine data from different sources and provide users with a comparable view of data from different studies);
• Deploying financial resources from the NIH to create a public-private post-viral research infrastructure and translate research results into treatments and cures for millions;
• Providing expert guidance and resources to media and policymakers;
• Expanding public-private partnerships;
• Leveraging existing post-viral disease knowledge and infrastructure;
• Connecting policymakers with patients and scientists; and
• Ensuring meaningful patient participation.

«So many patients have bonded together as the healthcare community has not understood why some patients are asymptomatic and others are suffering moderate to debilitating issues a year later,» said Hunter Howard, chairman of the Global Pandemic Coalition, a founder of the Alliance. «As one of the first infected in Texas, and a healthcare executive, I immediately noticed doctor friends did not understand my lingering symptoms or the novel coronavirus.  We started the Global Pandemic Coalition to bring together private companies to support the public sector pandemic initiatives.  If the vaccines continue to drive down mortalities, nothing may be more important now than coming together to drive understanding and fund research for the COVID survivors.»

To accompany the Long COVID Alliance’s launch, the initial partners from 2020 have drafted key recommendations and guidance for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which can be found by visiting https://longcovidalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/NIH-Long-COVID-Alliance-NIH-Recommendations-Letter-Final-with-signers.pdf 

Current Long COVID Alliance partners include:

• Action for M.E.
• American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA)
• Bateman Horne Center
• Body Politic
• Covid-19 Longhauler Advocacy Project
• Dysautonomia International
• ENIGMA COVID-19 Working Group
• Florida Society of Neurology
• HADASSAH
• Health Rising
• Healthy Women
• Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine (INIM)
• Kantor Neurology, LLC
• Long COVID Physio
• Massachusetts ME/CFS & FM
• #MEACTION
• ME International
• Medical Partnership 4 MS+
• Minnesota ME/CFS Alliance
• National Association for Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health
• National Health Council
• National Organization for Women (NOW)
• Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health (NPWH)
• Open Medicine Foundation
• PandoraORG
• PolyBio Research Foundation
• Pulmonary Wellness Foundation
• Sex and Gender Health Collaboration
• Simmaron Research
• Solve M.E.
• The American Dysautonomia Institute (ADI)
• The Mast Cell Disease Society, Inc.
• The SHANE Foundation
• Utah COVID-19 Long Hauler
• Whittemore Peterson Institute
• YOU + ME Registry (Solve M.E.)

«Many long haulers are now approaching a full year post-infection. We have lost jobs, lost significant quality of life, and lost pieces of who we once were. It’s been a long road with an uncertain future and we’ve finally found hope,» said Karyn Bishof, Founder of the COVID-19 Longhauler Advocacy Project and of the Long COVID Alliance. «With the help of our partners, we will ensure that Long haulers are not left out in the cold. The Long COVID Alliance will fight with us for awareness, answers, and ensuring that patient voices are included at every step of solving this ‘second wave’ Long COVID health crisis.»

To learn more, join the Long COVID Alliance, or become a signatory to the NIH letter, visit: www.longcovidalliance.org.

About Solve M.E.
The Solve ME/CFS Initiative (Solve M.E.) is the leading, national non-profit organization solely dedicated to solving ME/CFS. We are committed to making ME/CFS understood, diagnosable, and treatable. Solve M.E. is the largest U.S. provider of private competitive research funding exclusively for ME/CFS working to accelerate the discovery of safe and effective treatments; we strive for an aggressive expansion of funding for research that will lead to a cure, and seek to engage the entire ME/CFS community.

Media Inquiries Only 
Contact Emily Taylor
Director of Advocacy and Communications
714-296-1661
ETaylor@solvecfs.org

ALL OTHER INQUIRIES, PLEASE CALL THE SOLVE ME/CFS INITIATIVE AT: 704-364-0016 OR EMAIL Communications@SolveCFS.org

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SOURCE Solve M.E.