Japanese beverage innovation – September 2009

Premium Mitsuya Cider from Asahi Soft Drinks is a non-​alcoholic, plum flavoured drink. The company now uses a new clean-​room filling process which omits post filling pasteurisation and saves costs.

UCC Ueshima Coffee Company has released miss beaute, a functional coffee containing Galactosylsucrose which increases the production of good bacteria. The drink is aimed at women.

Bourbon has launched two drinks using New Zealand boysenberry juice. The first, Suteki Style, is a fruit drinking vinegar. The second, Boysenberry Sparkling Zero, is a zero calorie, carbonated drink containing fruit vinegar and agar.

Japan Tobacco has launched Kuzushi Nomi Milk Coffee Jelly, a jelly texture milk coffee packaged in a 275g alubottle.

Suntory’s Anzu Ame Soda is a beverage version of a traditional sweet served during summer festivals in Japan. Targeting festival-​goers, it is apricot flavoured but contains no fruit.