Enhanced water is a category of beverages that are marketed as water with added ingredients, such as natural or artificial flavors, sugar, sweeteners, vitamins and minerals. Most enhanced waters are lower in calories than non-diet soft drinks.

PepsiCo, The Coca-Cola Company and other companies market enhanced water. The marketing usually capitalizes on the healthy image of water combined with the perceived health and taste. Bottled water was introduced to the United States by television commercial in 1977. After the television commercial, bottled water sales increased by 3,000 percent from the year 1976 to the year 1979. In the year 2004, Americans spent $9 billion on bottled water.[1] Many companies produce enhanced water in the United States. The enhanced water category of beverage continues to grow in volume every year, and as of 2007 was the fastest-growing segment of the still beverage category.[2] In 2001, flavored and enhanced water sales estimated $80 million, and 2002 proved even more successful with $245 million in sales.[3] The U.S. wholesale market for enhanced water was $170 million in 2004.[4]

Enhanced waters vary from zero-calorie beverages certified organic and flavored with natural herb extracts, such as Ayala's Herbal Water,[5][6] to the Glaceau brands of beverages owned by The Coca-Cola Company. In May 2007 Coca-Cola bought Energy Brands, the maker of Glacéau Vitaminwater, at a cost of $4.1 billion to narrow its gap with competitor PepsiCo. This was the largest acquisition in the company's history.[7] PepsiCo owns several brands of enhanced water such as SoBe, Propel Fitness Water, and Aquafina Flavorsplash. Coca-Cola owns the brands smartwater, vitaminwater and Dasani.[8]

Brands

Flavors and Calories of Water
Water Flavors Calories per 8 US fl oz (240 ml) serving Servings per container
Aquafina Flavor Splash Grape, Wildberry, Strawberry-kiwi, Raspberry, Peach-mango, Lemon 0 2.5
Ayala's Herbal Water Lemongrass mint vanilla, Lavender mint, Lemon verbena geranium, Cloves cardamom cinnamon, Cinnamon orange peel, Ginger lemon peel 0 2
Clearly Canadian Mountain Blackberry, Orchard Peach, Wild Raspberry, Black Cherry 25 4
Dasani flavored water Lemon, Strawberry, Grape, Raspberry 0 2.5
Fruit 2o Essentials Cranberry Raspberry, Strawberry Kiwi, Peach Mango, Cherry Acai, Citrus, Blueberry Pomegranate 0 2.5
Hint Cucumber, Raspberry-lime, Blackberry, Honeydew Hibiscus, Mango-grapefruit, Pomegranate-tangerine, Watermelon, Lime, Strawberry-kiwi, Pear 0 2
Skinny Water[9] Orange Cranberry Tangerine, Lemonade Passion Fruit, Raspberry Pomegranate, Goji Fruit Punch, Acai Grape Blueberry, Peach Mango Mandarin 0 2.5
Metromint Peppermint, Spearmint, Lemonmint, Orangemint, Chocolatemint, Cherrymint 0 2
Owater Original, Wild berries, Lemon & lime, Peach, Strawberry, Mandarin orange 0 2.5
Powerade Orange Mountain berry blast Fruit punch Grape Lemon lime Sour melon White cherry Strawberry lemonade Mystic mountain blueberry
Powerade Zero Mixed berry Grape Strawberry Lemon lime Orange
Propel Lemon, Berry, Grape, Kiwi-strawberry, Blueberry-pomegranate, Black-cherry, Peach-mango 0 2.5
SoBe Lifewater Agave Lemonade, Goji Melon, Orange Tangerine, Strawberry Kiwi, Pomegranate Cherry, Blackberry Grape 40 2.5
SoBe Lifewater zero Cherimoya Punch, Strawberry Dragonfruit, Yumberry Pomegranate, Fuji Apple Pear, Black and Blue Berry, Mango Melon, Acai Fruit Punch 0 2.5
Twist Organics Mandarin white tea, Marionberry, Mandarin, Peach, Lemon, Pomegranate blueberry, West indies lime, Mango acai 10 2.5
VitaminWater Dragonfruit, Acai-blueberry-pomegranate, Fruit Punch, Orange-orange, Kiwi-strawberry, Grape, Raspberry-apple, Tropical Citrus, Lemonade, Berry-cherry, Grape-blueberry, Jackfruit-guava 50 2.5
VitaminWater Zero Grape-Raspberry, Mixed Berry, Acai-Blueberry-Pomegranate, Peach-Mandarin, Orange, Green Tea, Lemonade, Dragonfruit, Fruit Punch, Strawberry-Kiwi, Strawberry-Guanabana 0 2.5
WaddaJuice Apple, Wild berry, White grape 50 1
Zing Anything Blackberry-Mint, Ginger-Peach, Orange, Lemon, Lime, Strawberry-Cucumber 0 2.5

Ingredients

Ingredients used as enhancements in the water include hydroxycitric acid, chromium picolinate, epigallocatechin gallate, potassium, vitamin C, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12.

See also

References

  1. ^ Moskin, J. (February 15, 2006). "Must be Something in the Water". New York Times.
  2. ^ "2007 US Bottled Water Sales Statistics". Retrieved 2008-12-12.
  3. ^ Schaarsmith, Amy McConnell (March 26, 2006). "Battle of the Bottles: 'Enhanced' waters can promote hydration but at a cost". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2010-11-08.
  4. ^ Van Deusen, Amy (January 9, 2006). "Swimming in a Crowded Pool". Forbes. Archived from the original on July 16, 2012. Retrieved 2010-11-08.
  5. ^ "Ayala's Herbal Water". Retrieved 2008-12-12.
  6. ^ "USDA Grants Organic Certification to Ayala's Herbal Water". Archived from the original on 2012-07-06. Retrieved 2008-12-12.
  7. ^ Credeur, Mary Jane; Fineman, Josh (May 26, 2007). "Coke buys trendy water producer for $4.1 billion". Bloomberg News. Retrieved 2010-11-08.
  8. ^ The Coca-Cola Company. "Product List" "Brand List"
  9. ^ *Skinny National Corp. "Skinny Water Home Page" "Skinny Story", 2009.
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