Honey 101 for CPG Brands: Trends, Formulation Tips & Resources with Keith Seiz of The National Honey Board

The Startup CPG Podcast · 19 Aug 2026 · 10m · Episode 355

What this episode covers

Keith Seiz of the National Honey Board explains why honey has become a top ingredient for CPG brands, citing a 16.7% increase in new product launches in 2025 and a consumer shift toward natural sweeteners over zero-sugar alternatives. He details honey's functional benefits beyond sweetness, such as binding in bars, emulsification in dressings, and flavor masking for nutrient-fortified products due to its 24 different carbohydrates. Seiz also outlines the free resources the National Honey Board offers emerging brands, including troubleshooting, innovation support, and ready-made product concepts.

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • How I Built This · 21m

    How I Built Resilience: Kara Goldin of Hint

    Kara Goldin, founder and CEO of Hint, explains how she launched the unsweetened flavored water brand after quitting diet soda to improve her health. She details the challenges of entering the saturated beverage industry without prior experience, specifically the difficulty of convincing retailers to stock a new category and the technical hurdle of creating a preservative-free product using real fruit. Goldin also discusses how Hint navigated the pandemic by leveraging its automated US-based manufacturing and pivoting aggressively to direct-to-consumer sales, which tripled during the crisis.

  • How I Built This · 48m

    Advice Line with Ben Goodwin of Olipop

    Ben Goodwin, co-founder of the prebiotic soda brand Olipop, joins Guy Raz to answer calls from early-stage founders. Goodwin advises Darren Alpert of Gheelish on how to market ghee-based snacks by prioritizing taste over ingredient education, and helps Sarah Godfrey of Sarah's Gluten Free Goods navigate the scaling challenges of fresh, allergen-safe baked goods. He also counsels John Groner of the Bexley Natural Foods co-op on revitalizing sales through community engagement and curation rather than e-commerce.

  • People of Packaging · 49m

    21 - Jonathan Bybee - The Creative Director with a killer stache!

    Jonathan Bybee, VP of Creative at Lakanto Foods, discusses the company's mission to replace sugar with monk fruit and the strategic role of packaging in its brand identity. He details the design philosophy behind Lakanto's packaging, focusing on 'shelf talk,' tactile finishes like soft-touch varnish, and sustainability considerations such as flat-shipping boxes to reduce carbon footprint. Bybee also shares insights on the future of packaging, advocating for reduced reliance on traditional packaging and highlighting his work with Viori on reusable bamboo containers.

  • People of Packaging · 37m

    244 - Jody Polishchuk from Sundays on how they made the first zero sugar creme cookie

    Jody Polishchuk, founder of Sundays, discusses his journey from previous CPG ventures like The Juice Box and Yuga to creating the first zero-sugar creme cookie. He details the extensive R&D process, which involved three co-packers and three R&D teams over three years and $100,000, to replicate the taste of an Oreo without sugar. Polishchuk also explains his strategic decision to launch with a strong, affordable brand identity designed by Christine Brown and Django Jim, rather than spending heavily on a traditional agency.

  • How I Built This · 1h 07m

    Lily’s Sweets: Cynthia Tice

    Cynthia Tice, founder of Lily’s Sweets, explains how she launched a sugar-free chocolate brand at age 59, leveraging stevia and erythritol to create a product that tasted like traditional chocolate. After securing a national launch at Whole Foods with just four employees, she navigated a costly legal battle with a former partner before partnering with VMG to scale the business. The company was eventually acquired by Hershey’s for $425 million, validating Tice’s prediction that consumers would pay for healthier treats.

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by The Startup CPG Podcast. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.