Cassie Smith, Heather Carter, and Devon Gholam from the SupplySide editorial team join PricePlow for a live roundtable on protein trends, peptides, fiber, GLP-1 fallout, creatine stability, and regulatory friction at SupplySide Connect New Jersey 2026 in Episode #213 of the PricePlow Podcast.
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.
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https://blog.priceplow.com/podcast/supplyside-connect-nj-213
Video: Hot Takes & Fresh Finds – The Live Industry Breakdown at SupplySide Connect NJ 2026
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:04:51 — 54.9MB)
Detailed Show Notes: Cassie Smith, Heather Carter & Devon Gholam at SupplySide Connect NJ 2026
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0:00 – Introductions and Live Show Setup
Ben opens by thanking Informa Markets for hosting the live panel format a second year running, noting it isn’t common to get that kind of recurring access, and encouraging the audience to use the QR code for live questions. Cassie, Heather, and Devon each introduce themselves and their editorial roles. The panel lands on three agreed-upon themes for the session: protein, peptides, and fiber, with a wide-ranging conversation branching out from there.
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2:30 – Protein Is Everywhere
Devon notes that protein has made its way into Starbucks cold foam, protein mashed potatoes (an Idahoan whey-fortified version, a full dollar more than the original), and protein Pop-Tarts. Heather flags the Pop-Tart problem: 10g of protein lands differently when you see 32g of sugar on the same label. Ben brings up the GHOST x General Mills cereal collaboration as a more macro-sound example for mainstream consumers. The panel’s takeaway: functional food fortification is directionally right, but dosing integrity and claim accuracy have to follow.
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7:30 – Protein Science: Isolates, Hydrolysates, and Alternatives
Devon breaks down isolates (>90% protein), concentrates (>70%), and hydrolysates (enzymatically cleaved into smaller peptides, often prone to bitterness). Beta-lactoglobulin gets a callout as the driver behind clear whey beverage applications. The panel flags collagen’s PDCAAS limitations: fine as an ingredient, but a stretch for body composition claims when it’s quietly making up 4 of a labeled 6 grams. Ben highlights NNB Nutrition‘s PeptiClear™ at Expo West 2026 as a clear pea protein narrowing the flavor gap between plant and dairy proteins.
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14:00 – GLP-1’s Ripple Effect on Dairy and the Supply Chain
Ben connects an unlikely pair: as GLP-1 drug adoption rises, cheese consumption drops in those households, reducing the whey byproduct the protein supply chain depends on. Devon notes that sweet whey (~34% protein) was once the cheap, upcycled base of many protein powders. Cottage cheese gets a quick detour, with Ben and Devon noting that mainstream social media is just now “discovering” what the bodybuilding world has treated as a daily staple for decades.
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17:30 – Peptides: Two Very Different Conversations
Live from SupplySide Connect New Jersey 2025, Cassie Smith and Josh Long join Ben to talk about supplement industry uncertainty surrounding tariffs, FDA actions, and ongoing trends in Episode #164 of the PricePlow Podcast!
Ben lays out the core problem: the word “peptides” now covers two entirely different things. On one side, DSHEA-compliant food-derived bioactive peptides (Cassie gives Nuritas a shoutout for their AI-discovered fava bean peptide). On the other, gray-market injectable compounds sourced informally online. The panel agrees that GLP-1 familiarity has made consumers casual about injectables, and Ben flags Reddit communities with homemade SOPs for testing Chinese peptide orders as a genuine concern.
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22:30 – GLP-1 Support and the Post-Discontinuation Window
Roughly 78% of GLP-1 users discontinue within a year, often with weight regain and insulin management challenges. Ben argues this post-discontinuation window is where supplements can make a real difference. Berberine earns the obligatory “Nature’s Ozempic“ joke before a more grounded note on its evidence base. Akkermansia and a botanical that may increase endogenous GLP-1 while inhibiting the DPP-4 enzyme get brief mentions. Devon circles back to basics: protein and fiber are still the practical answer for most people transitioning off the drugs.
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34:15 – Fiber Maxing: Beyond Digestive Health
Ben mentions the recent Nootropics Depot InfiniFiber launch, noting the brand’s brief explicitly banned any digestive health or bathroom framing. The panel runs with the wider angle: fiber supports metabolic health, skin health, cardiovascular function, and the gut microbiome. Devon covers soluble vs. insoluble types and the prebiotic connection to the gut-brain axis. Daily targets sit around 28 to 30g. Shameless Snacks gets a callout as an example of fiber-fortified candy that’s actually delivering on label.
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42:30 – Take It, Try It, Trash It: Industry Hot Takes
The panel plays a polite version of FMK across 12 industry topics. Cassie tried PeptiSleep™ and calls it “incredible.” Ben holds the whey line, citing body composition studies. Heather takes aim at the fat-burning category, pointing to how the industry historically talked to women about weight loss. Devon calls out the stevia/monk fruit duopoly as stale and flags thaumatin (a protein-derived sweetener with brown sugar notes) as a natural alternative worth watching over the next few years.
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47:00 – Mandatory Product Listing vs. DSHEA 2.0
Ben opposes MPL: if the FDA isn’t enforcing existing law, adding a list won’t change behavior. A counterpoint from the panel holds that MPL could work if being off the list means being off the market. The group lands closer to agreement on DSHEA 2.0 as the better path, specifically for clarifying new delivery forms. Ben flags that transmucosal pouches are legally ambiguous under current DSHEA, even as they keep showing up at trade shows.
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53:45 – Creatine in Beverages, Gummies, and the Stability Race
Devon reveals the standard RTD overage practice: manufacturers load far more creatine than the label claims, knowing degradation to creatinine will eat through the excess before expiration. Ben cites the PricePlow/NOW Foods creatine gummy study showing widespread failures due to water activity. Soft chews offer one workaround (lower water activity than gummies). ONE Innovation Labs‘ liposomal approach is named as a potential stability solution, and Glanbia Nutritionals‘ Creapure® serves as the category’s quality benchmark (although NNB Nutrition’s Pürest Creatine is hot on the chase).
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58:15 – CBD, THC, Functional Mushrooms, and Industry Scope
Cassie isn’t sold on CBD (“I don’t think the science is that good”). The panel pivots to THC beverages: Farm Bill uncertainty, state-by-state legality, and Ben’s Future Nutra nonprofit tested 25 THC drinks across three labs, finding dosing inaccuracies in both directions (THC sticking to the inside of cans is one factor). Functional mushrooms get a measured nod for lion’s mane and chaga. Ben raises psilocybin as the next trend building behind the regulatory frontier, with Colorado as an early test case.
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1:04:00 – Closing Remarks
Ben thanks the SupplySide/Informa team for a second year of live podcast access, gives a shoutout to the Perfect Shaker crew in the audience, and asks attendees to fill out the show’s feedback survey so the live format can continue into a third year.
Where to Follow and Learn More
Connect with the Panel
SupplySide / Informa Markets
Previous Episodes
Resources Mentioned
Other Products and Companies Mentioned
Episode #213 wraps up a year’s worth of industry conversation in just over an hour. Protein’s everywhere, peptides mean two completely different things depending on who’s talking, fiber deserves a longer conversation than its reputation allows, and the regulatory ground under delivery forms is shifting. Big thanks to Cassie, Heather, and Devon for joining Ben at SupplySide Connect NJ 2026.
A huge thank you to Perfect Shaker for sponsoring the show. Check out their customizable shaker cups at PerfectShaker.com, or catch the full PerfectShaker story in Episode #209 with Darren Thompson.
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