#218: Blake Ebersole - The Ashwagandha Standards Alliance and India's Leaf Advisory

Ben Hartman is back for his third visit to the PricePlow Podcast in Episode #221, and Morphogen Nutrition has never been in a stronger position. Ben walks through everything: the second rebrand’s full backstory, a never-before-told story about a failed acquisition that nearly sold the company, the financial reckoning that followed, and how selling the building and moving to a 3PL model finally cleared the slate. He calls this the best formula work Morphogen has ever done, at the healthiest margins in company history. The conversation covers AlphaGEN’s return to 10g L-Tyrosine, why PRIME is the anchor of the entire health line, details like how he navigates AstraGin® and BioPerine® across a multi-product stack, and the surprising origin of CALM. Then comes the main event: the Nick Walker equity partnership, explained in full, including some of the financial structure the internet has been speculating about. The episode closes with a frank look at the longevity wave ahead, the natural-vs.-enhanced debate, and a nostalgic look back at the golden age of stimulants. Subscribe to the PricePlow Podcast on your favorite platform and sign up for Morphogen Nutrition news alerts before diving in. https://blog.priceplow.com/podcast/ben-hartman-morphogen-nutrition-221 Video: Morphogen’s Second Rebrand, Nick Walker Equity, and the 10g Tyrosine Return https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1avyjD3spOk Detailed Show Notes: Ben Hartman on Morphogen’s Rebrand, the Nick Walker Deal, and Where Supplements Are Heading (0:00) – Introductions (0:45) – The Second Rebrand: What Triggered It (3:00) – The Failed Acquisition: First Public Account (5:00) – David DeMesquita: The Missing Third Partner (8:45) – Business Lessons: Termites at the Foundation (12:30) – Best Formulas Ever, Healthiest Margins Ever (13:15) – Hero vs. Backup Ingredients: Supply Chain and Formula Thinking (18:30) – Diminishing Returns: “Racing to the Bottom” (20:30) – Breaking the Debt Cycle: PO Discipline and the Move to 3PL (27:45) – ALPHAGEN Reborn: The 10g L-Tyrosine Decision (30:15) – Eria Jarensis, Manufacturing Partners, and Label Honesty (35:15) – PRIME: Origin Story and the Anchor Health Product (40:30) – AstraGin® and BioPerine®: Choosing Absorption Enhancers Wisely (46:30) – CALM: From Bodybuilding Contest Prep to Gen Pop (51:15) – “I Don’t Listen to My Customers” (54:45) – Blood Work, Hormones, and Realistic Self-Assessment (1:01:30) – The Nick Walker Partnership: How It Actually Happened (1:04:30) – Equity, Not a Paycheck: “We Gave It to Him” (1:11:30) – Nick’s Feedback, Carb Fuel, and PROTEGEN on the Way (1:16:45) – From Bodybuilding Brand to Health and Wellness (1:21:30) – The Longevity Wave: NMN, Urolithin A, and Mitochondrial Health (1:27:00) – Natural vs. Enhanced: An Honest Reassessment (1:35:00) – The Supplements That Actually Moved the Needle (1:38:00) – Stimulant Nostalgia: DMAA, Ephedrine, and What’s Still Available (1:40:45) – Dedra Hartman (CFO) and Closing Thoughts Where to Follow and Learn … Read more on the PricePlow Blog

Episode #220 of the PricePlow Podcast brings Ben Kane and guest host Joey Savage to Washington, DC for the 2026 NPA (Natural Products Association) Fly-In Day. Their guest on the US Capitol steps at sunset: Uday Gosalia, founder of UGo Beyond and a proud advisor to Future Nutra. This year’s trip had a sharper edge than most. For the first time in several years, the industry came to DC specifically in opposition to active legislation, not just to make a general case. Two bills are in play: Senator Dick Durbin’s Dietary Supplement Listing Act of 2026 (S.3677), which would require every supplement SKU registered with the FDA before market entry, and the Dietary Supplement Regulatory Uniformity Act (H.R. 7366), introduced by Rep. Nick Langworthy, which needs a Senate companion to stop states from layering their own supplement restrictions on top of federal law. The conversation covers those two bills, the drug preclusion clause risk, what actually happens when you explain DSHEA to a senator’s staffer, and why consistent DC presence matters more than any single meeting. Our NPA Fly-In Day preparation guide and Episode #100 with NPA CEO Dan Fabricant offer essential background on PricePlow’s history at these events. Subscribe to the PricePlow Podcast and sign up for FDA news alerts before diving in. https://blog.priceplow.com/podcast/uday-gosalia-220 Video: Uday Gosalia and Future Nutra Oppose MPL at NPA 2026 Fly-In Day https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7WBa-IPH5I Detailed Show Notes: Uday Gosalia (UGo Beyond) at the NPA 2026 Fly-In Day (0:00) – Introductions (1:45) – The 2026 NPA Fly-In: Industry on the Offensive (2:15) – Opposing S.3677: The Mandatory Product Listing Problem (5:00) – H.R. 7366: Protecting Supplement Access for Minors (7:15) – HSA/FSA Eligibility and the Enforcement Gap (8:00) – Rep. Jim McGovern: An Unexpected Ally (11:00) – Teaching the Hill: Explaining How Supplements Are Regulated (12:45) – Do Your Legislators Take Supplements? (14:30) – The Ashwagandha “Gotcha” Moment (15:45) – DC Is More Accessible Than You Think Where to Follow and Learn More Connect with Uday Gosalia and UGo Beyond LinkedIn: Uday Gosalia (UGo Beyond) Sign Up for FDA News on PricePlow Resources Mentioned in This Episode NMN, FDA, and the Supplement Industry’s Winning Battle Against Pharma NPA Fly-In Day Guide: How to Come Prepared for a “Lobby Day” Dan Fabricant (NPA): Why You Need to Show Up in Washington DC (Episode #100) The NPA is Fighting Dick Durbin’s 2022 Supplement Bill (Episode #067) Thanks to Uday Gosalia for joining from the Capitol steps, and to Joey Savage and Future Nutra for making this episode happen. For anyone ready to get involved in supplement advocacy, our NPA Fly-In D… Read more on the PricePlow Blog

Episode #219 of the PricePlow Podcast welcomes back Doug Miller, founder and CEO of Core Nutritionals, for a full portfolio catch-up 4.5 years after Episode #050: Protein Prices on the Rise and Figuring it Out with Doug Miller. Doug’s opening line sets the tone perfectly: “We’re *still* figuring it out and protein prices are *still* on the rise!” In this conversation, Mike and Ben cover the entire Crush It Holdings universe: Doug’s amicable exit from Arms Race Nutrition The decision to shut down the resurrected Myoblox brand Where his focus now sits — Core Nutritionals, Unmatched Supps (his two-year partnership with Kris Gethin), and The freshly launched Nova Prime Labs research-use peptide venture. Along the way, the crew digs into CreGAAtine, Unmatched’s DTC pivot away from broad retail, an incoming Stem Cell product launch, the Unmatched Bar targeting Olympia 2026, and how another protein price spike is reshaping Core’s lineup. Merica Labz gets a few shouts as well. Subscribe to the PricePlow Podcast on your favorite platform and sign up for news alerts before you dive in! https://blog.priceplow.com/podcast/doug-miller-219 Video: Doug Miller Returns: Core Nutritionals, Unmatched Supps & Nova Prime Labs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOXpJ94gZR4 Detailed Show Notes: Doug Miller on Core, Unmatched Supps, and Entering the Peptide Space (0:00) – Introductions (1:00) – Exiting Arms Race and Putting Myoblox to Bed (7:00) – What Makes a Brand Worth Running (12:00) – Core Nutritionals and Unmatched: Two Brands, One Focus (16:00) – The Kris Gethin Partnership: Founding Unmatched Supps (19:45) – Going All-Natural and Pulling Back from Vitamin Shoppe (22:00) – CreGAAtine: The Science and Unmatched’s First-in-the-US Play (24:30) – White Packaging, Stem Cell Launch, and Managing the Pipeline (30:00) – Functional Foods: Core Balls, Brownies, and the Unmatched Bar (35:30) – Merica Energy and the Unmatched Drink (38:45) – Entering the Peptide Space: Nova Prime Labs (43:30) – Quality Standards and the Scammer Already at the Door (49:00) – Oral Bioregulators and What Nova Prime Won’t Sell (51:15) – GLPs, Fat Burners, and “Natural” in 2026 (57:00) – Crush It Wellness MD and Protein Prices: Still Figuring It Out Big thanks to Doug Miller for coming back after four and a half years and talking through everything happening across the portfolio. If you’re following Core, Unmatched, Nova Prime, or Merica Labz, PricePlow has news alerts for all of them. And thanks to Darren and the team at PerfectShaker for sponsoring the PricePlow Podcast — check out their lineup of shaker cups at PricePlow.com/perfect-shaker, or get the full story behind the brand in Darren Thompson: Inside PerfectShaker | Episode #209. Subscribe to the PricePlow Podcast, sign up for news from Core, Unmatched, Doug Miller, and Merica Labz on PricePlow, and leave us a great review on iTunes and Spotify! Where to Follow and Learn More &… Read more on the PricePlow Blog

The supplement industry is pushing back. In May 2026, a group of long-tenured ashwagandha producers and regulatory experts launched the Ashwagandha Standards Alliance (ASA), a new coalition dedicated to countering misinformation about ashwagandha leaf safety, defending GMP standards, and responding to what many in the industry see as scientifically unsupported regulatory actions: India’s April 2026 FSSAI/AYUSH leaf advisory and Denmark’s earlier ban. In Episode #218 of the PricePlow Podcast, Mike and Ben sit down with Blake Ebersole, founding member of the ASA and president of NaturPro Scientific, a B2B quality and regulatory consulting firm. Blake unpacks and rejects the “root good, leaf bad” narrative, explains why in vitro cancer cell studies are being misused to target ashwagandha leaf, and details how lab shopping and supply chain fragmentation quietly erode quality across the botanical category. This episode pairs directly with our companion article on India’s ashwagandha leaf advisory. Together they cover both the regulatory deep-dive and the industry coalition response. Subscribe to the PricePlow Podcast on your favorite platform and sign up for our ashwagandha news alerts on PricePlow before diving in. https://blog.priceplow.com/podcast/ashwagandha-standards-alliance-218 Video: The Ashwagandha Standards Alliance Responds to India’s FSSAI Leaf Advisory https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxYGLOcgVIw Detailed Show Notes: Blake Ebersole on the Ashwagandha Standards Alliance, FSSAI, and Industry GMP (0:00) – Introductions (2:45) – What Is the Ashwagandha Standards Alliance? (4:30) – How ASA Fits the Industry Landscape (6:15) – Educational, Policy, and Standards Goals (8:00) – Adverse Events at Scale and Ashwagandha’s Safety Record (11:15) – Denmark’s Ban and the Hazard-Based Regulatory Model (15:15) – Withaferin A and the In Vitro Extrapolation Problem (18:30) – How Competitive Interests Drove the Market Off Track (21:00) – Label Disclosure, Dilution, and Maltodextrin (25:00) – The Billion-Dollar Market and Supply Chain Fragmentation (30:00) – India’s Regulatory Framework: Food, Drug, and No Middle Ground (32:15) – Farmers, Brokers, and the FSSAI Advisory’s Unintended Consequences (38:00) – Research Gaps and the Clinical Literature (41:00) – Extraction Methods: Milk, Solvents, and Withanolide Chemistry (44:30) – Consumer Education and the Demand for Transparency (46:30) – Lab Shopping and the Broken Incentive Structure (52:45) – Branded Ingredients and GMP Supplier Qualification (55:15) – ASA Founding Members: Sabinsa, Cepham, and Arjuna Natural (58:00) – Formula Ideas: Sleep, Lifestyle, and Beyond the Basics (1:00:45) – Anhedonia, Cortisol, and What the Science Says Where to Follow and Learn More Connect with Blake Ebersole and the Ashwagandha Standards Alliance LinkedIn: Blake Ebersole (founding member of the ASA and president of NaturPro Scientific) Ashwagandha Standards Alliance Website Ashwagandha Standards Alliance on LinkedIn… Read more on the PricePlow Blog

NuLiv Science ingredients are everywhere in the modern supplement stack. AstraGin® shows up in pre-workouts, protein powders, energy drinks, and gut health supplements. Senactiv® anchors some of the most performance-focused formulas in sports nutrition. Yet for all that visibility, the brand hasn’t sat down for an in-depth podcast with Team PricePlow for quite some time. Episode #217 brings in Luis Gonzalez, VP of Sales at NuLiv Science, for a 70-minute walkthrough of the NuLiv story and its full ingredient portfolio. Mike hosts solo and the two cover Luis’s path from financial services into supplement sales, the full NuLiv Science ingredient lineup, the evolution of the brand’s research, and every ingredient in the portfolio: AstraGin®, Senactiv®, Zylaria®, InnoSlim®, JointIQ®, Astrion®, and CordycepsPrimeâ„¢. The centerpiece is NuLiv’s most ambitious AstraGin® clinical to date: a 2026 whey protein absorption study documenting 12% to 14% amino acid uptake improvements and a meaningful zonulin reduction across three age demographics. A lot has changed since Episode #059 in 2021. This episode gets you fully caught up, and Luis has a pretty cool story getting into the industry as well. https://blog.priceplow.com/podcast/nuliv-science-luis-gonzalez-217 Video: Luis Gonzalez of NuLiv Science: AstraGin, Senactiv Senolytics, and the Full 2026 Portfolio https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Et_ErGPaP2I Detailed Show Notes: NuLiv Science’s Full Ingredient Portfolio with Luis Gonzalez (0:00) – Introduction (1:30) – Luis’s Path from Financial Services to NuLiv Science (5:00) – Getting NuLiv Science Into Sports Nutrition (7:15) – NuLiv’s Content-First Strategy (9:30) – The Ghost Connection: How Senactiv Found Its Audience (13:30) – Senactiv: Ten Papers and a Research Arc Unlike Any Other (21:00) – Senactiv Doses: 50mg vs. 100mg (23:30) – Zylaria®: Deep Sleep, GABA Support, and No Next-Day Grogginess (26:00) – AstraGin as Flagship (And the CordycepsPrimeâ„¢ Volume Surprise) (27:30) – The 2026 AstraGin Study: Whey Protein, Amino Acid Absorption, and Zonulin (33:45) – AstraGin for Gut Health and Healthy Aging (38:45) – NuLiv’s Origins: Founded as a Mushroom Company in 1997 (40:45) – MLM Clients, Quality Standards, and Vitafoods Europe (46:45) – JointIQ® and the “Same Plant, Different Compounds” Explanation (50:45) – InnoSlim and the GLP-1 Market Shift (53:45) – NuLiv Ingredients as GLP-1 Adjuncts (57:45) – Grinding the 1099 Hustle: Luis’s Path to VP of Sales (1:01:45) – Formulator’s Corner: The GLP-1 Support Stack (1:05:30) – New Senactiv Research, Astrion Skin Health, and Closing Thoughts Where to Follow and Learn More Connect with Luis Gonzalez LinkedIn: Luis Gonzalez Instagram: @luisjr_fit … Read more on the PricePlow Blog

Balchem makes its first appearance on Episode #216 of the PricePlow Podcast. Tom Druke, Senior Marketing Manager at Balchem’s Human Nutrition & Health division, joins Mike and Ben to cover three flagship branded ingredients: VitaCholine® (choline bitartrate), Albion® Minerals (chelated mineral technology), and a first look at K2VITAL® (vitamin K2 MK-7). Tom walks through Balchem’s growth story: from roughly 30% human nutrition a decade ago to 60-70% today, driven by strategic acquisitions (Albion® in 2016, then Bergstrom Nutrition for OptiMSM® and Kappa Bioscience, which brought K2VITAL®, in 2022). He also explains the New York Jets partnership launched in May 2024, which Balchem and the Jets jointly described as the first partnership between an ingredient company and a major U.S. professional sports team. The choline discussion covers depletion in athletes and knowledge workers, the L(+)-bitartrate vs. DL-bitartrate distinction, the connection to nitric oxide, and what a 2015 published study on visuomotor performance revealed about choline’s role in focus and fine motor coordination. On the mineral side, Tom unpacks Albion’s chelation technology, FT-IR quality verification, and what NOW Foods’ 2022 Amazon audit revealed about third-party magnesium products. This is an educational one, to say the least. Subscribe to the PricePlow Podcast and sign up for Balchem news alerts before diving in! https://blog.priceplow.com/podcast/balchem-vitacholine-216 Video: Tom Druke of Balchem on VitaCholine®, Albion® Minerals, K2VITAL®, and the NY Jets https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3FYWarAy0E Detailed Show Notes: Balchem’s Tom Druke on VitaCholine®, Albion® Minerals, and K2VITAL® (0:00) – Introductions: Tom Druke and Balchem (3:30) – The New York Jets Partnership (7:00) – Why Choline Is Essential and Widely Deficient (11:15) – VitaCholine® and Natural L(+)-Bitartrate Sourcing (14:30) – Choline Depletion in Athletes and Knowledge Workers (18:00) – The 2015 Focus Study and Cholinergic Signaling (19:00) – GHOST Legend V4: VitaCholine® at 1 Gram (21:00) – L(+)-Bitartrate vs. DL-Bitartrate: Why Isomers Matter (26:15) – Safe Dosing, Upper Limits, and Genetic Factors (31:15) – Choline, Betaine, and Nitric Oxide (34:15) – Albion® Minerals: The Science of Chelation (39:15) – Magnesium Bisglycinate: Deficiency, Bioavailability, and Sleep (42:45) – Quality Verification: FT-IR Testing and the Albion Brand (47:30) – The NOW Foods Amazon Audit: Why Branded Ingredients Matter (50:45) – K2VITAL® and Other Albion® Minerals (1:00:00) – Looking Ahead: Choline Science and Longevity Where to Follow and Learn More Connect with Tom Druke and Balchem Balchem Human Nutrition & Health on LinkedIn Balchem Corporation on LinkedIn Instagram: @balchem.hnh Balchem Human Nutrition & Health Website … Read more on the PricePlow Blog

Jim McMahon turned 60 in early 2026, and his supplement industry experience now spans nearly four decades. He founded Fit Foods Ltd. (parent of Mutant, PVL, Whey Gourmet, and North Coast Naturals) in 1996 with $13,000 and a newborn at home, and built one of the industry’s most disciplined manufacturing operations: 200,000 square feet in Port Coquitlam, BC, roughly 200 employees, and distribution in 70+ countries. This is his first appearance on the PricePlow Podcast, and he doesn’t hold back. In Episode #215 of the PricePlow Podcast, Jim traces the full arc from introducing whey protein to Canada at the 1993 CHFA trade show to signing the Creapure® trademark agreement two days before Prolab. He explains that Mutant’s internal testing found creatine gummies at 28 times the allowable impurity limit, predicts whey protein prices will roughly double within six months, and breaks down the Canadian NHP regulatory system from the inside. Jim also teases a novel pre-workout stimulant nobody has used in sport, Mitchell Hooper‘s upcoming “Stronger” signature line, and a protein extension partnership with Dr. Daniel Traylor of DePaul University. This is a good one — subscribe to the PricePlow Podcast on your favorite platform and sign up for Mutant news alerts on PricePlow before diving in. https://blog.priceplow.com/podcast/jim-mcmahon-mutant-215 Video: Jim McMahon on 40 Years, Creatine Gummy Quality, and the Whey Protein Avalanche https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zUsvh5PlrQ Detailed Show Notes: Jim McMahon, Founder and CEO of Fit Foods / Mutant (0:00) – Introductions (3:15) – First to Market: Whey Protein and Creapure in Canada (11:30) – Founding PVL with $13K, a Newborn, and No Room to Fail (16:30) – The Mutant Mass Origin Story (19:00) – Rich Piana, Big Ron Partlow, and What Mutant Really Sells (31:00) – COVID Lessons and “Happier Lives Through Healthier Living” (33:30) – Why Mutant Won’t Make Creatine Gummies Yet (40:30) – Canadian Supplement Regulation: The NHP System (49:00) – MPL, FDA Reform, and the Case for a Clear Innovation Pipeline (53:15) – Ingredient Science, Creatine Impurities, and the Zero-Sum Fallacy (59:15) – EAAs, Intra-Workouts, and the Shawn Clarida Project (1:02:15) – Inside Mutant’s 200,000-Square-Foot Operation (1:06:30) – The 2009 MusclePharm Near-Insolvency and Why Mutant Went Inward (1:11:00) – Supply Chain Discipline: 97% Fill Rates and a Distribution-First Model (1:17:00) – Quality Over Trends: The Mutant Philosophy on Innovation (1:18:30) – The Whey Protein Price Avalanche (1:28:45) – The Investor Deal: Protecting 200 Teammates and Planning for Continuity (1:37:45) – Title Sponsor for Eight Years: The Arnold Classic and the Camaraderie Mission (1:39:45) – What Does PVL Stand For? (And Teasing What’s Next) (1:42:30) – Mitchell Hooper’s “Stronger” Signature Line (1:47:30) – The Protein Extension Project: Shawn Clarida, Dr. Daniel Traylor, and What Comes After the Avalanche Where to Follow and Learn More Connect with Jim McMahon and Mutant / Fit Foods LinkedIn: Jim McMahon … Read more on the PricePlow Blog

Episode #214 of the PricePlow Podcast goes deep with the two co-founders of NuCelium, a functional mushroom cultivation company operating out of Coldstream, British Columbia. Riley Boudreau and Rob Swiderski join Mike and Ben to explain NuCelium’s biology-first approach to potency and why their full-spectrum growing method can outperform conventional extraction without stripping out a single compound. The conversation covers Rob’s unusual path to mushrooms (he sold his shares in nine restaurants after a vision he attributes to God) and Riley’s journey from mushroom-picking robotics into cultivation science. Together with a founding mycology team carrying over 75 years of combined experience, they’ve built a facility where quality and affordability don’t have to be trade-offs. The headline result: NuCelium’s CordyFuelâ„¢ won the 2025 Cordy Cup with a third-party verified 14.83 mg/g cordycepin reading, the highest in competition history, achieved without extraction. For the full backstory on the company, see our NuCelium brand introduction on the PricePlow Blog, but this discussion is worth your full time. Once you’re done, you’ll be figuring out ways to add CordyFuel and these other top-tier mushroom ingredients to your stack. Subscribe to the PricePlow Podcast on your favorite platform and sign up for NuCelium news alerts on PricePlow before diving in! https://blog.priceplow.com/podcast/nucelium-mushrooms-214 Video: Biology-First Mushrooms with NuCelium’s Riley Boudreau and Rob Swiderski https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHqyx2tCS3A Detailed Show Notes: Riley Boudreau and Rob Swiderski of NuCelium on CordyFuel, Full-Spectrum Cultivation, and the Cordy Cup (0:00) – Introductions (4:00) – Riley’s Origin Story: Nepal, Automation, and Mushrooms (12:00) – Rob’s Premonition: The Vision That Started It All (14:00) – Building for Biosecurity and Scale (20:00) – Mushroom Growing 101: Full Spectrum vs. Extraction (26:45) – The Extract Debate: Ratio vs. Standardized (31:45) – Functional and Psychedelic Mushrooms: Where They Intersect (36:00) – Learning from Failure: How Potency Gets Unlocked (44:30) – The Cordy Cup: 14.83 mg/g and Competition Record (47:30) – Beyond Cordycepin: Adenosine, Uridine, and Longevity Bioactives (49:15) – Benefits by Mushroom Species (55:00) – Eight Mushrooms, One Facility (58:45) – Gut Health and the Prebiotic Fiber Matrix (1:01:00) – Could the Substrate Become Its Own Ingredient? (1:04:30) – Play Formulator: Dream Products from NuCelium Ingredients (1:09:30) – Biosecurity: Why It’s Everything in Mushroom Farming (1:13:00) – Strain Genetics: Catching and Riding the Wave (1:18:45) – Commercial Consistency: Under-Promise, Over-Deliver (1:22:00) – Research Roadmap: From Cell Culture to Human Trials (1:26:15) – What’s Next: Chaga, Tiger’s Milk, and the Substrate Study Where to Follow and Learn More Connect with Riley, Rob, and NuCelium LinkedIn: Riley Boudreau Linke… Read more on the PricePlow Blog

For the second year running, PricePlow took the main stage at SupplySide Connect New Jersey with a live panel podcast. Episode #213 of the PricePlow Podcast brings you that roundtable in full, recorded live in 2026 with three of the most plugged-in editorial voices in the supplement and functional food space: Cassie Smith (Senior Director of Editorial Content, SupplySide), Heather Carter (Associate Editor, SupplySide Food & Beverage Journal), and Devon Gholam (Editor, SupplySide Supplement Journal and food scientist), while Ben hosts from the PricePlow side. The agenda they agreed on: protein, peptides, and fiber. From there, the conversation branches into GLP-1’s downstream effects on the dairy supply chain, the creatine stability arms race in RTDs and gummies, a debate on Mandatory Product Listing vs. DSHEA 2.0, delivery forms on the edge of legality, and frank takes on CBD, THC beverages, and where functional mushrooms are heading. If you caught Episode #164 from SupplySide Connect NJ 2025, this is the 2026 follow-up. Subscribe to the PricePlow Podcast on your favorite platform and sign up for alerts before diving in. https://blog.priceplow.com/podcast/supplyside-connect-nj-213 Video: Hot Takes & Fresh Finds – The Live Industry Breakdown at SupplySide Connect NJ 2026 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCjUOg5Y8d4 Detailed Show Notes: Cassie Smith, Heather Carter & Devon Gholam at SupplySide Connect NJ 2026 (0:00) – Introductions and Live Show Setup (2:30) – Protein Is Everywhere (7:30) – Protein Science: Isolates, Hydrolysates, and Alternatives (14:00) – GLP-1’s Ripple Effect on Dairy and the Supply Chain (17:30) – Peptides: Two Very Different Conversations (22:30) – GLP-1 Support and the Post-Discontinuation Window (34:15) – Fiber Maxing: Beyond Digestive Health (42:30) – Take It, Try It, Trash It: Industry Hot Takes (47:00) – Mandatory Product Listing vs. DSHEA 2.0 (53:45) – Creatine in Beverages, Gummies, and the Stability Race (58:15) – CBD, THC, Functional Mushrooms, and Industry Scope (1:04:00) – Closing Remarks Where to Follow and Learn More Connect with the Panel Cassie Smith on LinkedIn – Senior Director of Editorial Content, SupplySide Heather Carter on LinkedIn – Associate Editor, SupplySide Food & Beverage Journal Devon Gholam on LinkedIn – Editor, SupplySide Supplement Journal Ben Kane on LinkedIn – PricePlow SupplySide / Informa Markets SupplySide Network SupplySide Connect New Jersey SupplySide on LinkedIn SupplySide Supplement Journal Informa Markets on PricePlow Previous Episodes … Read more on the PricePlow Blog

Episode #212 of the PricePlow Podcast covers tactical nutrition from two perspectives that rarely share a microphone: the soldier who tested an ingredient in active combat and the scientist who helped commercialize it. Retired Green Beret Chris Lobb, who served nearly 13 years in the Army with a decade in special operations (including five years with the 10th Special Forces Group), joins PLT Health Solutions Director of Sports and Active Nutrition Brett Bernier to explore what performance supplementation actually looks like under operational conditions. The episode’s anchor is Chris’s firsthand account of testing unlabeled CellFlo6® capsules in Afghanistan in 2019, five years before PLT’s commercial partnership with the ingredient launched. The conversation covers sustained energy management without crashes, caffeine optimization through zümXR®, adaptogen stacking with ingredients like Rhodiolife®, and delivery format innovation (gummies, lozenges, dissolvable strips) suited for environments where water is scarce and silence is mandatory. Brett brings relevant credibility of his own: four years in the Marine Corps as a scout swimmer and assault climber, followed by 16 years in dietary supplements. Subscribe to the PricePlow Podcast and sign up for PLT Health Solutions and CellFlo6 alerts on PricePlow before diving in. https://blog.priceplow.com/podcast/tactical-nutrition-cellflo6-212 Video: Tactical Nutrition with Chris Lobb and PLT Health’s Brett Bernier https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWCVFiisTm0 Detailed Show Notes: Tactical Nutrition with Chris Lobb and Brett Bernier of PLT Health Solutions (0:00) – Introductions (4:30) – Tactical Nutrition: The Core Need States (9:45) – The CellFlo6® Origin Story: Afghanistan 2019 (14:15) – Operations Tempo and Sleep Management (17:00) – Managing Energy Without Crashing (21:00) – What Is CellFlo6®? (23:00) – Blood Flow, Cognition, and Hydration Effects (27:15) – CellFlo6® in the Stack: Where Does It Fit? (31:45) – Packing for Operations: Weight, Water, and Format (33:30) – Tactical Delivery Innovation: Gummies, Strips, and Lozenges (39:00) – Creatine for SOCOM and MRE Reform (41:45) – Optimization vs. Endurance: SOCOM Performance Culture (47:15) – Caffeine Science and the zümXR® Advantage (49:30) – Going 18X-Ray: Chris’s Path to Special Forces (56:00) – The Many Hats of a Green Beret (58:30) – Tactical Nutrition Across Life Phases (1:02:30) – Holistic Supplement Philosophy Where to Follow and Learn More Connect with Chris Lobb and Brett Bernier Instagram: @strikefire_survival — Chris Lobb’s primitive survival training account LinkedIn: Brett Bernier — Director of Sports and Active Nutrition, PLT Health Solutions Connect with PLT Health Solutions PLT Health Solutions Website LinkedIn: PLT Health Solutions … Read more on the PricePlow Blog