Beverage formulators have a pesky habit of signing non-disclosure agreements. It limits what they’ll say about products destined for the supermarket shelves. But chat long enough and two things become clear: business is good, and enhanced waters have loads to do with it.

Soft drink sales are down. The energy drink market is poised for shake out. But enhanced waters? “It’s going to continue to grow,” says Ram Chaudhari, chief scientific officer for Fortitech. “We are still scratching the surface.”

“Every time I think I have seen the boundary, someone goes beyond it,” adds Steve Wolf, director of flavor applications for Robertet Flavors.

Enhanced water is the broadest of today’s beverage categories. Splashes of citrus and vitamin infusions now seem mere gateway enhancements in view of the supplements beverage companies are bottling. There’s caffeinated water, water to improve skin care and water to nurture joint health.

“We’re talking an ocean of water; there are so many things going on,” Chaudhari says.
Chaudhari forecasts a continuing focus on condition-specific enhancements—waters to aid heart health or lower cholesterol or help combat obesity and aid in weight managment.

“Whenever there is a new scientific or medical report released with evidence supporting claims for a
particular functional ingredient, it is likely there is a beverage manufacturer taking a closer look at that ingredient for possible use in a new enhanced water concept,” echoes Derek Elefson, beverage marketing manager for Givaudan Flavors.

Some of the ideas are limited by technology. The materials required to deliver, say, a cholesterol-lowering agent in a tasty, ready-to-drink form, may not be water soluble. “Some of these technologies are not mainstream yet, so it’s still very costly,” Chaudhari says. But he allows they are in the works.

There also seem to be palatability limitations. If you’ve ever licked the powder inside of a vitamin or supplement capsule, you know how bad the raw elements taste. Flavor companies must mask that bitterness before they can start the process of making a beverage taste like orange or darling flavors of the moment, mangosteen and yuzu.

“It’s not like there’s one flavor that will hide every nutrient,” says Robertet’s Wolf.

While fiber foritifcation is a growing trend, due to fiber’s numerous health benefits, it can be a challenging ingredient to incorporate into clear beverages. However, Tate & Lyle recently developed Promitor soluble corn fiber, which dissolves clear in applications and does not impart any negative tastes or colors, and enables beverage formulators to create flavored waters with five grams of fiber per serving. Read more about fiber fortification at beverageworld.com.

There’s also a more basic question of consumer demand.

The recent report on bottled water by Chicago market research firm Mintel notes consumers who reach for enhanced waters are most interested in vitamins and new flavors—comparatively simple requests.

To that end, Kevin McClafferty, vice president of sales for Soma Beverage Co., believes there’s a risk of confusing consumers with too many function-related claims. This month, Soma will complete its Metromint line with a cherry mint flavor. McClafferty says Soma soon will unveil a second enhanced water platform. He won’t offer specifics, but he insists the new enhanced water line will complement the straightforward Metromint concept.

Perhaps a jasmine or chamomile essence?

“I think that the vitamin enhancement area will continue to grow substantially, but this may be a short-lived phenomenon,” Wolf says. “I think there may be some trending back to very low impact flavor, perhaps not fruit flavors, maybe the herbal types.”

Maybe something closer to water?

fortitech.com • givaudan.com • robertet.com • tateandlyle.com

From Beverage World March 15, 2008