Some food for health

A new food and beverage company in Laguna Beach aims to make customers healthier as well as feed their cravings.

Waypharm USA LCC launched its privately owned pharmaceutical and functional food company last month, marking its official entrance into the growing $50-billion U.S. nutraceutical market.

The company’s food and beverages promise to provide “innovative solutions for improved health, nutrition and quality of life.” With branches already in France and Great Britain, the launch marks the third opening of a Waypharm company.

“We want to put food and beverage products on the market that help the everyday consumer with their daily nutritional needs, with their well-being, giving them quality products, something that they can get on-the-go to help fill out their day from a nutritional basis,” said Rhonda Williams, senior director of marketing and sales.

This fall, the company plans to introduce its first on-the-go wellness beverage directed at busy people who may not have the time to get proper nutrition. Although details on the beverage remain undisclosed by the company, Williams insists the beverage, which will initially come in three flavors, will serve as a meal replacement or snack.

In addition to food and beverage items designed for health-conscious people, Waypharm USA also intends to create a line for customers with serious illnesses such as cancer in early 2010.

“We also are going to be putting products on the market to help people that are battling what are called ‘wasting diseases.’ If you know anyone who’s ever battled cancer before, they tend to have really severe issues with weight loss because there is an inability and lack of desire to eat,” Williams said.

Although the products will not be officially “FDA approved”, Waypharm will only carry “FDA compliant” products — something other nutraceutical companies don’t do, according to Williams.

“Waypharm’s ingredients will all be FDA compliant. We are not putting anything that has not been vetted by the FDA as safe and efficacious and our claims will be claims that the FDA will have reviewed and approved. Often times [other companies] don’t do proper testing and they don’t work with the FDA,” Williams said.

Although the launch took place only a couple weeks ago, Williams is already looking toward the future with plans for a more extensive line of grab-n-go beverage flavors, a snack food line and more medical beverages.

“Once the product is launched, which will be in about three months time, we will have a launch party for the product itself. We are planning on doing a coupon program and we’re really excited about that,” said Williams.

Waypharm USA is headquartered at 349 Third St.

Their products, once launched this fall, will be available at local grocery stores, drug stores, and other retailers. For more information visit www.waypharm.com.