Looking back through the wide range of entries and recalling conversations with some of the winners who I met at the Awards gala dinner in London last week, I’m once again encouraged by the pace of innovation in the functional drinks arena.
The trend to natural is clear in so many of the entries, and niche functionality seems to be narrowing more and more. For instance, the range of entries from Kino Biotech in Singapore, each with very specific health benefits, was a good example of products designed for keenly targeted consumers. The company’s Kinohimitsu J’pan D’tox Plum Juice won the ‘Best targeted health drink’ award for its digestive health enhancement properties.
Targeting women, and with the focus on weight management, stress management and skin care, NutriWater from Germany’s AlphaBambi won the ‘Best natural functional drink’ category. Read an interview with founder Victoria Chirita in the next issue of Water Innovation magazine.
Another product aimed primarily at women was Lull from The Botanical Drinks Company, which won the ‘Best relaxation drink’ category and picked up another award for ‘Best functional drink label’.
One winner that particularly caught my eye was vitamin and mineral enhanced water B’lue from Danone Narang in India, breaking into new territory in what Rahul Narang described as ‘Little India’ during his presentation at the recent InnoBev Global Beverages Congress.
I asked my colleague Claire Phoenix, managing editor of Beverage Innovation, for her take on this year’s awards. She said: “The awards are always impressive in terms of product and ingredient development. This year, I was aware of a number of effective herbal doses in easy-to-use sachet format, plus some excellent packaging for ready-to-drink beverages.
“What’s also interesting is the move towards less clinical packaging, with a softer consumer appeal in on-pack graphics, making them fit well into a mainstream beverage SKU. Take Aspire, for instance, and Minerva.”
Read all about the entries in the Beverage Innovation Functional Drinks Awards Showcase magazine – available soon.
© FoodBev Media Ltd 2024