It is no secret, nor should it be a surprise, that the beverage segment of the nutracueticals market is one of the fastest growing categories at the moment, and also one of the most exciting. As consumers continue to experience pill fatigue, beverages are arguably the most convenient forms of delivery for nutraceuticals, in addition to being extremely user-friendly.

Seth Goldman, president, Honest Tea, Bethesda, MD, commented on the unique nature of the beverage market. "The beverage market is always going to do well because people will always be thirsty. Companies will always be trying to innovate and create new brands and new varieties," he said, adding, "Likewise, a large segment of consumers will always be willing to try new things. Beverages are unusual products in that everyone uses them everyday and yet consumers expect to try new varieties, even from established brands."

According to SPINS, San Francisco, CA, the functional beverage category, which includes meal replacement beverages, lifestyle and wellness beverages, medicinal teas and isotonic beverages, grew 11% from $1.23 billion in July 2001 to $1.4 billion in July 2002. The most significant growth occurred in the life­style/wellness beverage segment, which grew 25% from $286 million in July 2001 to $358 million in July 2002.

This growth can be attributed in large part to consumers becoming educated and sophisticated about what they drink, according to Darius Bikoff, president, Energy Brands, Whitestone, NY. "Consumers know they should drink eight or more glasses of water per day and are now looking for convenient hydration options to fit into their active life­styles," he offered. "It used to be that if a product tasted good and was refreshing, a healthy perception was enough. Consumers have evolved and now demand a healthy reality."

While all segments of the beverage market are evolving, the growth seems to be directed more towards healthy, light, low-calorie drinks, in particular organic varieties and enhanced waters. What follows is an overview of the latest product offerings from beverage companies.

Teas

There have been several recent introductions from Honest Tea, Bethesda, MD. New to the company's bottled iced tea line are two organic varieties, Haarlem Honeybush and Lori's Lemon Tea. Haarlem Honeybush, a native South African herbal tea, is made with organic honeybush, wildcrafted lippia multiflora (a traditional Gambian tea) and malic acid. The taste of honeybush, a relative of the rooibus plant, is described by the company as smooth and mellow with hints of honey. Lori's Lemon Tea is made with organic black tea, organic lemon juice and organic lemon verbena. Both teas are brewed in spring water without sugar or sweeteners.

The company has also introduced two new tea bag varieties, Chamolime and the aforementioned Haarlem Honeybush, for the fall and winter seasons. Chamolime is a caffeine-free blend of organic chamomile and sun-dried crushed limes from Guatamala.

A new line of organic teas has been launched by Traditional Medicinals, Sebastopol, CA. The line includes Organic Echinacea Elder, which contains elder, ginger, peppermint and yarrow for the support of the immune system; Organic Golden Ginger™, which is a digestive tonic that contains chamomile flower in addition to ginger; Organic EveryDay Green Tea™, which includes ginger rhizome and is intended to help maintain a healthy cholesterol level; Organic Roasted Green Tea, which contains roasted Bancha, a Japanese green tea variety; Organic California Chai™, which is an energizing tonic meant to enhance well being that contains black tea leaf, cardamom seed, ginger rhizome, cinnamon bark, roasted chicory root, black pepper corn, stevia leaf and clove flower bud and Ginger Energizer™, which is intended to promote alertness and contains ginger rhizome, roasted yerba mate leaf, green yerba mate leaf, stevia leaf and lemon peel.

Imperial Republic®, the new brand launched earlier this year by The Republic of Tea, Novato, CA, has unveiled its newest white tea varieties. The line contains seven blended Asian flavors including Emperor's White, Honeydew Melon, Asian Jasmine, Pineapple Guava, Orange Blossom, Honeysuckle and Persimmon. Touted as the rarest of teas, white tea is the least processed of all varieties and new research reports that it may have the highest level of antioxidants, according to the company.

Innovation at NUMI Tea, Oakland, CA, has led to the introduction of two ancient herbs into its tea line. NUMI's Organic Bus­hmen's Brew Honeybush He­rbal Teasan brings the honeybush herb to consumers. Honeybush is receiving attention for its high levels of phytoestrogens, anti-oxidants and essential minerals. The company has also paired lemon myrtle with Egyptian chamomile to form Sweet Meadows Chamomile Lemon Myrtle Herbal Teasan. Lemon myrtle is native to the coastal rainforests of Australia and is known as the most potent source of citral in the world.

Brassica® Tea, developed by researchers at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, has been introduced by Brassica Protection Products, Baltimore, MD. Brassica Tea contains the antioxidant SGS™ (sulfora­phane) extracted from broccoli. Sulforaphane is the natural antioxidant found in broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables that, research claims, boosts the body's own natural defense systems that inactivate free radicals. Brassica Teas are available in six varieties including Green Tea with SGS, Decaffeinated Green Tea with SGS, Green Tea with Orange and SGS, Green Tea with Lemon and SGS, Black Tea with SGS and Decaffeinated Black Tea with SGS.

Globe Star Enterprises, Sydney, Australia (associates of Jiangxi Ninghong, China), has launched Floral Tea, available in four flavors including Royal Red, Forest Mist, Summer Breeze and Mountain Flower. The Floral Tea selections contain rugosa rose, globe amaranth, matrimony vine, golden aster, mountain flower, rose, lily, trollflower, hawthorn and Stevia rebaudianum.

Stash Tea, Portland, OR, has added four new flavors and a decaffeinated tea sampler to its line of teas. Stash Blueberry Herbal Tea contains a blend of blueberries, oranges, lemongrass and spices; Stash Orange Starfruit Chamomile Herbal Tea blends chamomile flowers with orange and starfruit; Stash Vanilla Nut Crème Decaf Tea is a decaffeinated black tea with a vanilla nut aroma and flavor and Stash Green Chai Tea is a blend of green tea and sweet spices. Stash's Decaffeinated Sampler contains three tea bags each of Decaffeinated Chai Spice, Decaffeinated Earl Grey, Decaffeinated English Breakfast, Decaffeinated Green Tea, Decaffeinated Orange Spice and Decaffeinated Vanilla Nut Crème.

Also new from the company is a collection of teas from India. The Indian tea line features six teas including Kopili Estate Assam Black, Nilgiri Black, Darjeeling First Flush Spring Tea, Darjeeling Second Flush Summer Tea, Darjeeling Green Tea and Kashmiri Chai.

New iced teas and flavors of chai tea latte mix are the latest products from Oregon Chai, Portland, OR. Oregon Chai Iced Tea and Oregon Chai Iced Tea with Lemon feature a blend of black tea and chai spices. The two new flavors of the company's chai tea latte mixes are Vanilla and Decaf Original.

The Hain Celestial Group, Garden City, NY, has introduced the Celestial Seasonings® Cool Brew Iced Tea line. The 100% natural black tea blends are formulated to brew in cool water and are available in Summer Ice, Raspberry Ice and Lemon Ice.

The company has also launched its Black Teas of the World line. The line includes Devonshire English Breakfast, Victorian Earl Grey, Tuscany Orange Spice, Golden Honey Darjeeling and Bali Black Raspberry.

In other tea developments, Kalahari Limited, Atlanta, GA, has unveiled five new flavors of tea. In addition to Original Rooibos, Honey, Lemongrass and Chamomile Red Tea, Kalahari now offers Early Grey, Peppermint, Chai, African Spice and Honeybush Red Tea.

On The Water Front

Energy Brands, Whitestone, NY, has expanded its line of Glaceau vitaminwater™ to include three new enhanced teas. Determination Raspberry contains yerba mate and glucosamine; Leadership Lemon contains rooibus and inositol and Perseverance Peach contains black tea and carnitine.

In other news, the company has unveiled a 32-ounce bottle version for its top three flavors of Glaceau vitaminwater in response to consumer demand. The flavors available in the 32-ounce bottle are Power c, Essential and Energy and Revive.

PULSE is the new water + nutrients line of supplements that has been launched by Baxter International, Deerfield, IL. PULSE water + nutrients supplements were rolled out initially in three formulations, Heart Health Formula, Women's Health Formula and Men's Health Formula. The Heart Health Formula contains 25% of the recommended daily value of dietary fiber in addition to vitamin C and selenium, and is available in Mandarin Citrus and Strawberry Kiwi flavors. The Women's Health Formula contains soy isoflavones, calcium, magnesium, vitamin D, vitamin B6 and B12 and folic acid, and is available in Cranberry Raspberry, Cranberry Lime and Cranberry Green Apple flavors. The Men's Health Formula contains lycopene, vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium and green tea, and is available in Pineapple Citrus, Tropical Fruit Blend and Melonberry flavors.

Talking Rain Beverage Company, Preston, WA, has launched VitaRain, a new line of enhanced vitamin waters. VitaRain is a non-carbonated blend of purified water and natural fruit juice with vitamins, minerals and nutrients. The new line consists of Cranberry Blueberry-VitaVISION; Kiwi Strawberry-VitaLOOKS; Orange Tangerine-VitaENERGY; Key Lime-VitaACTION; Melon Berry-VitaFOCUS and Passion Peach-VitaHEART.

PepsiCo, Purchase, NY, has added a line of enhanced waters to its product offerings with Aquafina Essentials. The new line combines Aquafina brand bottled water with vitamins, minerals, natural fruit flavors and natural sweeteners. Aquafina Essentials are available in B-Power-Wild Berry Essence, Calcium +-Tangerine-Pineapple, Daily C-Citrus Blend and Multi-V-Watermelon.

Long Life Beverages, Randolph, NJ, has entered the enhanced water arena with its line of enhance® water. Long Life Beverages infuses its product with Vital Force™, a patented technology from Energy Tools International (ETI). Vital Force trace mineral formulas are specifically designed to act as a catalyst for increasing the body's ability to absorb nutrients and vitamins. The enhance line comes in six flavors with six respective functions: Lemon-Lime-Energy Formula; Orange-Stress Formula; Peach-Multi-Formula; Cherry-Antioxidant Formula; Grape-Vision Formula and Ice-Immune Formula.

In other news, Long Life has launched a line of fresh-brewed and herbally-infused iced teas. These blends are brewed using organic teas and whole herbs in natural spring water with a touch of organic evaporated cane juice. The line includes Organic Decaf Green Tea; Lemon-Honey Wellness Infusion, which contains honey, echinacea, lemongrass, Siberian ginseng, ginkgo and lemon balm; Organic Earl Grey Black Tea; Bergamot Fruit Energy Infusion, which contains American ginseng, panax ginseng and Siberian ginseng; Organic Ceylon Black Tea; Rasperry Tangerine Mood Infusion, which contains peppermint, lemon balm, kava, passion flower and St. Johns Wort; Organic Green Tea; Mint Antioxidant Infusion, which contains spearmint and peppermint; Organic Golden Chai, which contains ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamon and cloves; Organic Jasmine Green Tea; Organic Decaf Black Tea and Ginger Peach, which contains ginger, chamomile, licorice and cinnamon.

Quaker/PepsiCo, Chicago, IL has been active on the water front with its line of Gatorade® Propel Fitness Water™, which is a lightly flavored water with 10 calories per eight ounce serving. Propel contains B vitamins (vitamin B6, niacin, pantothenic acid) to assist in converting fats and carbohydrates into energy, while also providing antioxidant vitamins C and E. Propel is available in Black Cherry, Lemon, Orange and Berry flavors.

In other developments, the company has also launched Gatorade Ice™, which is a clear beverage with fruit flavor that contains the same formula of carbohydrates and electrolytes as mainline Gatorade. The Ice line is available in three flavors including Orange, Lime and Strawberry.

Amé is a new lightly sparkling spring water containing fruit juices and a blend of herbal extracts that has been introduced by Orchid Drinks, Hartlepool, U.K., a subsidiary of Britvic International. Amé is available in Delicate White, which blends grape juice with apricot flavor and jasmine; Refreshing Rose, which combines grape, raspberry, passionfruit and blackberry flavors; Radiant Red, which blends grape and elderberry juice with fresh-pressed elderflowers and Crisp Dry, which combines lemongrass flavor with kiwi.

Peace Mountain Natural Beverage Corporation, Springfield, MA, has unveiled Skinny Water®, which is meant to aid in weight loss. Skinny Water is infused with the natural appetite suppressant Super CitirMax™ and ChromeMate®, a micro-mineral for glucose tolerance that helps in energy production and reduces sugar cravings. In addition, Skinny Water contains vitamins and electrolyte minerals.

Le Nature's, Latrobe, PA, has introduced Le Nature's Flavored Ice Water. It contains purified water with a hint of natural citrus juices and no sweeteners or calories. Flavors include Squeeze of Lemon, Twist of Lime, Tropical Mist Mandarin, Pink Grapefruit Splash and Lemon-Lime blend.

White Plains, NY-based Snapple Beverage Group has introduced a line of enhanced waters under the Snapple Elements name. The new waters are available in 20-ounce bottles and come in Lime, Berry, Orange and Lemon flavors.

In other news, the company has also added a new energy drink, Mistic RE, to its line of Mistic beverages. Mistic RE is packaged in 14-ounce resealable aluminum bottles and contains caffeine, taurine, ginseng and guarana. The new energy drink is available in Berry and Citrus flavors.

Rx WaterAID has been introduced by Arizona Beverage Co., Lake Success, NY, under the company's Rx Herbal line. The new line of water includes Calcium, Orangeade Fruit Infused Water; Power, Fruit Punch Infused Water; Immune, Green Tea Infused Water; Stress, Decaf Tea Infused Water; Total Trim, Ruby Red Grapefruit Fruit Infused Water and Energy, Citrus Blend Fruit Infused Water.

Aqualife, Richmond, VA, has launched Aqualife Active™ natural spring water enhanced with vitamins and minerals and a hint of natural fruit flavor. The product is enhanced with B complex vitamins and potassium and is available in six natural fruit flavors including Tangerine Mist, Starfruit Mist, Guava Lime Mist, Mandarin Lime Mist, Calamansi Mist and Lulo Dew Mist.

Hansen Beverages Company, Corona, CA, has expanded its offerings with E20 Energy Water. E20 Energy Water contains ginseng, taurine, B vitamins and electrolytes and is available in Tangerine, Lemon Lime, Apple and Berry flavors.

Also new from the company is its Natural Soy Smoothie, which contains 100% of the daily requirement for vitamins A, C, D and E, in addition to calcium, protein and iron. The smoothie is available in Lemon Chiffon, Orange Dream, Berry Splash, Tropical Breeze and Peach Passion flavors.

The Juicy Details, etc...

The Ultimate Juice Company, Basking Ridge, NJ, has been busy with its Naked® Food-Juice brand. Most recently the company launched its first line of organic juices made with 100% natural fruit grown without pesticides, insecticides, herbicides or GMOs. The juices contain no added sugar, artificial flavors, colors or pres­ervatives and are available in Ap­ple, Orange and Car­­rot varieties.

Aside from organics, three juices have also been added to the Naked Food-Juice line. The new additions to the line include Blue-nanas, which contains blue­berries, apples, ba­nanas and pineapples; Very Berry, which contains apples, ba­nanas, blackberries, oranges and raspberries and Zenergy, which contains o­ranges, pineapples, bananas, passion fruit, ginkgo and Siberian, Korean and Chinese ginseng.

Following on the heels of the organic trends, Odwalla, Half Moon Bay, CA, has added a line of certified organic juices to its portfolio. Made from 100% organically grown fruits and vegetables, the new line features pure squeezed Odwalla Organic Orange Juice, pure pressed Odwalla Organic Carrot Juice and Odwalla Organic Apple Juice.

New under the Fresh Samantha name are several new products and flavors. Mighty Food™ blends spirulina with peaches, mangos, strawberries, bananas and apple juice. It contains chlorophyll, iron, beta-carotene, vitamins B12 and B9 and essential amino acids. Another addition includes Strawberry Desperately Seeking C®, which offers antioxidants beta-carotene and vitamin E along with selenium and zinc. Lastly, CalciYUM™ has been added to the product line up at Fresh Samantha. It contains a blend of oranges and cranberries and is fortified with calcium, vitamin D, magnesium and chicory root extract (inulin).

Most recently Tropicana, Br­adenton, FL, launched Tropicana® Pure Premium® Healthy Kids™. Healthy Kids is fortified with vita­mins A, C and E, and calcium along with other nutrients inherent in orange juice. Tropicana utilizes FruitCal as its source of calcium.

In other news, Tropicana has introduced a smoothie line. Tropicana Smoothies blend juices and yogurt. Each serving delivers 5 grams of dietary fiber, 4 grams of protein and 14 vitamins and minerals. The Smoothies are offered in Mixed Berry, Strawberry, Peach and Tropical Orange flavors.

Nantucket Nectars, Cambridge, MA, has launched its Summertime line. The new line features three flavors including Watermelon Lemonade, Maine Berry Punch and Lemon Limeade. Nantucket Nectars Summertime is a seasonal line that will only be available during the summer months of July and August.

SoBe, Norwalk, CT, has made several additions to its beverage portfolio. Lizard Lava is the latest addition to its Lizard line. The strawberry daiquiri flavored, dairy-based brew contains aloe and is infused with vitamins A, E, C and B complex. Dragon is the latest addition to Sobe's Power line. Dragon contains SoBe's 3G package, which includes ginseng, ginkgo and guarana. Nirvana is the latest addition to SoBe's line of exotic teas and fruit juice blends. Nirvana is a mango melon blend that features a combination of exotic Asian and Indian herbs including ashwagandha, panax ginseng and astragalus. Lastly, SoBe has added MacLizard's™ Special Recipe Lemonade to its product offerings. This juice blend contains chromium, carnitine and vitamin C in addition to lemon balm and lemongrass.

Ardmore Farms, Akron, OH, has introduced Fruit Well™, a new line of orange juices. Fruit Well orange juices are 100% not-from-concentrate and include Fruit Well Bone Power, which contains calcium, diet­ary fiber, magnesium, vitamins C, D, E, B6, B12, folate, thiamin, biotin, copper, manganese, potassium and zinc; Fruit Well Eye Power, which contains Flora­GLO® lutein, vitamins A, C and E, thiamin and folate; Fruit Well Brain Power, which contains cho­line, vitamins C, E, B6, B12, thiamin, niacin, folate and potassium and Fruit Well Immune Power, which contains vitamins C, E, B6, B12, zinc, folate, potassium and thiamin.

Mad River juice beverages are the first enhanced juice beverages from Coca Cola, Atlanta, GA, to be marketed in Canada. Mad River beverages are available in four flavors, Summit Berry, Cranberry Orange Lemon, Wild Citrus and Orange Carrot Blend. All of the beverages are enhanced with natural botanical extracts, including guarana, ginseng, echinacea, ginkgo and bee pollen. Each contains between 11-18% real juice and are sweetened with pure cane sugar.

NuVim, Inc., Paramus, NJ, producers of NuVim-a dietary supplement in beverage form that uses patented ingredients LactoMune™ and LactoActin™ to help build the im­mune system and maintain muscle flexibility and sturdy joints-has launched a single serve 16-ounce re­friger­ated size of its flagship product.

Also new from the company is its shelf stable sports drink, NuVim Body Quencher, which is available in a 20-ounce bottle. The Body Quencher line is available in Tangerine, Lemon Lime and Fruit Punch flavors and also contain LactoMune and LactoActin.

Cal-C™ is the name of a beverage that has been introduced by NutriJoy, Manhattan, KS. Cal-C combines milk, juice, vitamin C and high doses of a patented calcium-CCM™, which is a combination of calcium and citric and malic acids. Cal-C uses CCM at a level that gives it 50% more calcium than milk per serving. Cal-C, which is sold in 20-ounce bottles, is available in Orange-Tangerine, Strawberry-Kiwi, Peach-Mango and Cranberry-Raspberry flavors.

Apple & Eve, Port Washington, NY, has introduced 100% multivitamin fortified fruit juices to the single-serve market. Separated into Apple & Eve 100% Pure Fruit Juices and Premium Cocktails, the juices include Orange and Apple flavors, while the cocktails consist of Wild Berry, Ruby Red Grapefruit and Concord Grape Juice flavors. Cranberry Juice Blend, Orange Mango and Kiwi Tangerine round out the line.

Also new from the company are its Power Pouch juices for kids, which contain 100% juice and are fortified with both vitamin C and calcium. The juices are available in Fruit Punch and White Grape Strawberry flavors.

Lutein fortified prune juice has been introduced by Sunsweet, Yuba City, CA. Prune Juice+ is 100% pure Sunsweet Prune Juice fortified with 500 mcg of lutein, 3 grams of dietary fiber, 10% of the daily value of iron and 17% of the daily value of potassium.

Fruit Craze Jr. is a new juice for kids that has been launched by Meridian Beverage Company, Atlanta, GA. Fruit Craze Jr. comes in an 8-ounce sports bottle and is fortified with vitamins and calcium. The flavor array includes Raspberry Blues, Tro­pical Punch Frenzy, Crazy Kiwi Watermelon, Gooney Grape and Zany Orange Mango. NW