Danisco develops innovative sports drink concepts
using their water-soluble citrus flavours and fortified with
healthy ingredients to appeal to the growing number of sports
beverage makers in Asia.
The Danish ingredients company has added new flavour profiles to its water-soluble range, including a 'more citrus' grapefruit profile. It is also offering lemon lime, orange and lemon variants of the range, which uses special processing technology to remove the essential oils from citrus fruits and make water-soluble flavours.
This process, developed by Danisco's flavour centre in Singapore, allows manufacturers to avoid visible separation problems.
"Sports drinks are on the rise, particularly in south-east Asia where we have had increasing enquiries," said Irene Tan from the firm's flavours division in Singapore.
The firm says its concepts will meet consumer demands for healthy and convenient beverages with "a premium image at no extra price".
The product concepts target men and women separately, and include antioxidants to help beat physical stress.
The sports drinks for men are sweetened with natural sugar and fructose for a rapid energy boost said to also help rehydration after exercise. For women, Danisco has come up with a light beverage range, fortified with vitamins and minerals and sweetened with a blend of sugar and artificial sweeteners.
Consumption of sports drinks is rising fast in many Asian markets. UK-based consultancy Zenith International estimates that China's sports drink market has grown by 20 per cent during 2005 to reach 1,500 million litres while the Vietnamese market is also seeing rapid growth albeit from a small base. It grew by around 17 per cent to 10.5 million litres during 2005, estimates Zenith.
