Beverage innovations

Dairy Foods,  Feb, 2005  by Donna Berry

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"There is an overriding focus on health and wellness in the beverage category," says Gary Hemphill, senior v.p., Beverage Marketing Corp., New York. With milk having both these attributes--naturally--dairy ingredients will likely be included in many of the new beverages rolled out in 2005.

With that said, packaging and promotion are also more important than ever before in the marketing of such products, as the budgets of the competition (carbonated soft drink marketers) are some of the largest in the consumer products segment. And, these companies, too, have embraced the health and wellness trend. This is exemplified in new 7 UP[TM] Plus[R]. which is the first carbonated soft drink to be fortified with vitamins and minerals.

When it comes to packaging, one of the most innovative single-serve packages to enter the U.S. marketplace is the self-heating, rigid paper can that now contains a range of Wolfgang Puck[R] lattes. Made with premium coffee and whole milk, the beverage warms to 145[degrees]F when the package is activated. The beverages are shelf stable until opened.

Naturally Iowa LLC, Clarinda, Iowa, is rolling out a line of organic fluid milk products in bottles made out of polylactic acid corn-based resin. This eco-friendly and annually renewable material is promoted by the company with the slogan: Milk the cows and grow the bottles.

With health and wellness comes a return to remembering, in the end, it is calories that count, and there is no sense wasting your daily allotment on empty ones.

In the 19th Annual Report on Eating Patterns in America from the NPD Group, Port Washington, N.Y., statistics show that Americans are becoming more calorie conscious. In fact, 27% say they are conscious of the calories in their meals--the highest number since 1999. The data also shows that Americans are becoming concerned about sugar in their diet. In fact, 22% of Americans are concerned about sugar, up from 20% in 2003.

In response, Dallas-based Dean Foods Co., recently rolled out Land O Lakes[R] 80 'N Sunny[TM] low-fat milk and fruit juice blend. The blend has only 80 calories per serving, and contains as much calcium as an 8-oz glass of milk, as well as just as much vitamin-C as an 8-oz glass of orange juice. Like many other low-sugar and no-sugar-added dairy products in the market today, 80 'N Sunny is sweetened with sucralose.

"Our research told us kids love the refreshing taste," says Dave Haley, dir. of marketing for Dean Foods. "And besides tasting great, our new product helps address two critical issues with today's kids--obesity and a shortage of calcium."

According to Washington, D.C.-based American Obesity Association, obesity has risen 8.3% in children (ages 6 to 11) from 1980 to 2000, and 10.5% in teens (ages 12 to 19). Approximately 30% of both groups are considered overweight and about 15% are considered obese. Other studies have shown that 30% of children ages one to five do not get enough calcium on a daily basis. For teens, that figure rises to an average of 80%.

Land O Lakes 80 'N Sunny comes in half-gallon cartons and in four flavors: Blue Raspberry. Fruit Punch, Orange Creme and Strawberry Banana. Dean Foods is strategically informing consumers that 80 'N Sunny is a lower-calorie alternative to other beverages by flagging "80" in the brand name and stating calorie content on carton front panels.

Bravo! Foods International Corp., North Palm Beach, Fla., also offers flavorful low-sugar milk beverages. No Sugar Added Fortified Slim Slammers[R] are made with 1% low-fat milk. They are promoted as having half the carbohydrates, half the calories and one-third more calcium than regular milk.

Available in two flavors--Chocolate Fudge and French Vanilla--Slim Slammers are offered in attractive 16-oz extended shelflife (ESL) bottles. Slim Slammers offers all the benefits of milk, plus the addition of 20% to 45% of the recommended daily allowance of 10 essential vitamins not normally found in milk.

"With the ever-growing national epidemic of obesity and the associated medical risks, the Slim Slammers line is the ideal alternative to sugar-laden carbonated beverages and fruit drinks," says Roy Warren, Bravo's CEO. "Perhaps one of the most alarming statistics comes from the Centers for Disease Control, which has reported that one of every three children born in the United States in the year 2000 will develop type-2 diabetes. What's particularly disturbing is that this can be prevented with diet and lifestyle changes. Drinking low-fat milk as part of a reduced-calorie diet provides calcium and protein that support healthy weight loss. Slim Slammers takes that a step further by adding great taste, increased calcium and 10 essential vitamins, which makes this milk a complete package."

Bravo is one of the most aggressive marketers when it comes to promotion and packaging initiatives. For example, about a year ago, Bravo entered into a license agreement with Marvel Enterprises, Inc., New York, to use its world-famous Super Heroes[R] to promote Bravo's branded milk products. Marvel's popular characters include Spider-Man[TM], Wolverine[TM], the Incredible Hulk[TM], Daredevil[TM] and Captain America[TM]. As part of the agreement, Bravo enhanced its already vitamin-enriched milk by incorporating particular attributes associated with each Marvel Super Hero in its product. For example, Bravo adds omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin E and choline to its Spider-Man Slammers Chocolate Web shake to promote brain power, an attribute long associated with the popular web-slinger.