A New York-based innovator has launched a flavour-scented cup that tricks the brain into thinking that plain water is far more flavourful than it actually is.
The Right Cup has been developed to encourage consumers to drink more water by offering a healthier, equally flavoursome alternative to sugar-laden soft drinks. The cup’s recyclable material has a proprietary encapsulated aroma release technology built in, with aromatic fruit flavours manufactured directly into the cups.
This scented liner gives off aromas of fruit when the consumer is drinking from it, helping to trick the consumer into believing they are drinking a fruit-flavoured soft drink – even when it’s all just plain water. This works, the brand said, because up to 80% of the perceived flavour of a beverage is actually a consequence of how it smells.
The cup was described as “crazy” and “brilliant” in prototype taste tests.
Available in lemon-lime, orange, mixed berries and apple, the cup is expected to retail for around $35. The scents only remain effective for about six months, becoming stronger with time, so the cup offers consumers cost savings against cans of typical carbonated beverages if they switch from drinking between four and five cans per week.
The company will launch a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo later, as it seeks $70,000 to kickstart the cups’ production.
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