Nutraceutical Beverages Approved for Test Marketing

The SuperCharge and BrainWave beverages of Aqua 1 Beverage Co. (Vancouver) have been approved for test markets with Wal-Mart stores in New York, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Indiana, and Target stores in California.

SuperCharge and BrainWave are formulations of vitamins and herbs along with fruit flavors. The beverages contain vitamin B-complex, vitamin C, Siberian ginseng, gingko biloba, guarana and other herbs and vitamins to increase mental and physical energy with natural ingredients. The beverages are noncarbonated in three flavors, grape, orange and lemon-lime.

According to Aqua 1, "nutraceutical" and "isotonic" products are foods or drinks with medicinal or nutritional benefits. In recent years these types of products have experienced annualized growth of 10 percent and sales in excess of $1.5 billion in the United States alone.

Isotonics are usually formulated to meet the needs of highly active people. This includes, but is not limited to, athletes. These beverages typically contain sodium and potassium for electrolyte replacement and carbohydrates in the form of fructose, glucose, and sucrose. Their aim is to replenish body nutrients that are spent as a result of exercise, as well as provide additional nutrients to optimize physical performance. These include B Vitamins that help the body release energy from carbohydrates and fats, and use protein efficiently. By far the largest North American producer of isotonic beverages is Quaker Oats, whose Gatorade sports beverage occupies a 90 percent market share.

Nutraceuticals, on the other hand, aim not only to replenish nutrients and optimize bodily performance, but purport to possess the ability to rectify or mitigate the body's susceptibility to a variety of pathogens. In the U.S., nutraceuticals rarely claim medicinal benefits in order to avoid the stringent regulatory requirements of the FDA, however their medicinal qualities are well-discussed in the nonorthodox health subculture.

Aqua 1's previously launched "energy" drinks, Regain-F and Regain-C, contain an extract from echinacea (pronounced "ek-a-NAY-sha") and an extract from Siberian ginseng, respectively. These products possess many of the same properties as isotonics. Each, for example, contains four important B Vitamins - BI, B2, B6, and ~2. But the presence of echinacea and Siberian ginseng sets Aqua l's Regain product apart from isotonic beverages.

Neutraceutical beverages are intended to appeal to the athlete and non-athlete alike. In this respect, they are on the cutting edge of the beverage industry, according to Max Blum, marketing manager for Hoffman LaRoche's food unit. "Sports beverages fit into the trend for healthier beverages," explains Blum. "They are not only for exercise, they are now an occasional drink."

Currently, similar products exist in scattered centers across North America. These products are largely imported by retailers from Europe or Asia and are sold exclusively in specialty health and other stores. Examples of these include Lipovitan and Red Bull, which are manufactured by Aisho Pharmaceuticals of Japan, and a ginseng-based product called Aqua Libra from the UK.

Aqua 1 Beverage Company, Inc., 1501 West Broadway, Suite 250, Vancouver, BC Canada, V6J 4Z6. Tel: 604-736-0057; Fax: 604-736-0065.