Fruity, enhanced water

DEMAND for functional beverages, including fortified/enhanced water, has soared in recent years, growing exponentially from 2005 to 2009, according to Euromonitor International. The global appeal of enhanced water as a hydrating beverage and immunity booster for all ages fits well with the healthy lifestyle, and its application in nutricosmetics spurs demand even more.

In Asia Pacific, sales of alternative drinks, which include vitamin-enhanced water, sports drinks, and energy drinks, are projected to reach $16.5 billion by 2014, notes Datamonitor.

Alex Park, key account manager at Jachin Co. Ltd in South Korea, says that Asia is following in the footsteps of the United States when it comes to increased demand for enhanced water, thanks to strong marketing campaigns by big industry players.

Seoul-based Jachin entered the bottled water market only two years ago with its "V20" vitamin water. Innovation is one of the company’s strengths, according to Mr Park. Since vitamins are known to be sensitive to heat, light, water and oxygen, the company developed a way to preserve the vitamin content within the bottle.

Patented cap protects vitamin potency

Whereas other enhanced water products are packaged in dark-coloured or opaque bottles to preserve vitamins, the V20 bottle comes with a unique double cap, with the inner cap holding and protecting the vitamins from ultraviolet radiation and from getting wet. Once the bottle is twisted open, the vitamins are released into the water, along with the choice of flavour/colour, including pomegranate, blueberry, lemon and orange.

 The smart cap technology, which took the company two years to produce, has three registered patents. Jachin is the only one in South Korea to package their enhanced water this way. Mr Park believes this is a very strong selling point for their product.

Each 370 ml bottle contains vitamin C (350 mg), together with vitamins E (0.15 mg), A (56 mg), and D (0.84 mg) in its vacuum sealed cap. It also contains sucralose as a sweetener as well as natural colourants and flavourings. Each bottle has up to 20 calories.

'V2O’ from Jachin Co. Ltd in South Korea touts a patented cap that releases vitamins to the water just before consumption

The product complies with the guidelines of the Korean Food and Drug Administration, the USDA and Health Canada, and meets ISO and GMP standards. It is exported to Indonesia, Thailand, Brunei Darussalam, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, the UAE, Pakistan, UK, Italy, Germany, France, Spain, USA, Mexico and Canada.

Easy way to take vitamins

Eugene Tan, export manager at Pere Ocean in Singapore, agrees that the enhanced water market is growing in Asia, especially in China, with bigger demand projected over the years. People are looking for alternative means to derive their source of vitamin intake. “Better education and greater spending ability are driving people to source high quality products and those they believe are beneficial to their health,” he says.

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