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Talking Rain has unveiled its latest beverage offering, Popwell, a prebiotic soda that is claimed to be 'immunity-boosting'.

The Popwell line comes in two varieties – caffeine-free (available in blackberry lime, tropical mango and cherry citrus flavours) and caffeinated (available in lemon lime, cream soda and orange cream).

The drinks are designed to support immunity, with 6g of fibre in each can, as well vitamin C, vitamin B, zinc and antioxidants. Each can has just 1g of sugar, and the caffeinated flavours contain half as much caffeine as a regular cup of coffee.

Oscar Mayorquin, COO at Talking Rain, said: “We want consumers to feel great about our beverages and our research resoundingly suggested that consumers were dissatisfied with the taste of some of the prebiotic beverages currently on the market. That’s why we paid such close attention to our crafting process and even to the Popwell labels themselves. Caffeinated versions are clearly marked, so consumers can choose when they want a moderate energy boost.”

Talking Rain said it had undertaken nearly a year of testing the flavour dynamics following consumer feedback. The launch caters to increasing demand for functional soda drinks, with an increasing interest in prebiotic sodas as consumers become more aware of gut health and the benefits of fibre. Beverage giant Coca-Cola recently made its foray into the market with the launch of its new Simply Pop brand.

Ken Syvia, CEO at Talking Rain, said: “Our newest line of better-for-you beverages not only delivers on Talking Rain’s promise of bold, fun flavours, but puts us in a great market position to accelerate growth this year. This is going to be an exciting year and we’re just getting started.”

Popwell is available at major retailers across the US, as well as via Amazon.