Enhanced water

Enhanced water is a category of beverages that are marketed as water, but which contain additional ingredients, ranging from natural or artificial flavors, sugar, sweeteners, vitamins, minerals and other "enhancements." Most enhanced waters are lower in calories per ounce than non-diet soft drinks. Pepsi and Coca-Cola and other companies market enhanced water. The marketing of enhanced water usually capitalizes on the healthful image of water combined with the perceived health, taste or functional benefits of one or more additional ingredients.

Vitaminwater contains 33 grams of sugar per bottle, and its maker Coca-Cola is being sued by the Center for Science in the Public Interest. The suit alleges that the marketing of the drink as a "healthful alternative" to soda is deceptive and in violation of Food and Drug Administration guidelines. The consumer group states that "according to CSPI nutritionists, the 33 grams of sugar in each bottle of Vitaminwater do more to promote obesity, diabetes and other health problems than the vitamins in the drinks do to perform the advertised benefits listed on the bottles". Coca-Cola criticized the suit as "ridiculous," on the grounds that "no consumer could reasonably be misled into thinking Vitaminwater was a healthy beverage" and that the suit was an attempt by the group to increase its readership.^[1][2] In 2013, a federal judge ruled that the lawsuit could move forward as a class-action lawsuit.^[3]

A 2009 study found that "Americans now get nearly 25 percent of their calories from liquids."^[2]

American market

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.^[4] Many companies produce enhanced bottled 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.^[5] In 2001, flavored and enhanced water sales estimated $80 million, and 2002 proved even more successful with $245 million in sales.^[6] The U.S. wholesale market for enhanced water was $170 million in 2004.^[7]

Enhanced waters vary from zero-calorie beverages certified organic and flavored with natural herb extracts, such as Ayala's Herbal Water,^[8][9] to the Glaceau brands of beverages owned by The Coca-Cola Company. Coca-Cola bought the maker of Glaceau Vitaminwater, Energy Brands Inc., in May 2007 at a cost of $4.1 billion to lessen the gap between itself and Pepsi on the market of enhanced water. This was the largest purchase in the history of Coca-Cola.^[10] Pepsi owns several brands of enhanced water such as Sobe life water, Sobe life water zero, Propel, and Aquafina Flavorsplash. Coca-Cola owns the brand Glaceau which owns the SmartWater, Vitamin Water, and Vitamin Water Zero, while Coca-cola also owns the Dasani brands of flavored water.^[11]

Brands

Flavors and Calories of Water

Water	Flavors	Calories per 8 fl. oz.	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	2.5
Skinny Water[12]	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, epigallocatechin gallate, potassium, vitamin C, vitamin B₆ and vitamin B₁₂.

References

1. Geller, Martinne; Richwine, Lisa (January 15, 2009). "U.S. group sues Coke over VitaminWater health claims". Reuters. Retrieved May 20, 2009.
2. Robbins, John (August 5, 2010). "The Dark Side of Vitaminwater". Huffington Post. Retrieved August 8, 2010.
3. "Vitaminwater lawsuit over health claims to proceed as class action". CBS News. July 19, 2013. Retrieved July 19, 2013.
4. J. Moskin. "Must be Something in the Water." New York Times. February 15, 2006. "Bottled Water"
5. "2007 US Bottled Water Sales Statistics". Retrieved 2008-12-12.
6. 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.
7. Van Deusen, Amy (January 9, 2006). "Swimming in a Crowded Pool". Forbes. Retrieved 2010-11-08.
8. "Ayala's Herbal Water". Retrieved 2008-12-12.
9. "USDA Grants Organic Certification to Ayala's Herbal Water". Retrieved 2008-12-12.
10. Credeur, Mary Jane; Fineman, Josh (May 26, 2007). "Coke buys trendy water producer for $4.1 billion". Bloomberg News. Retrieved 2010-11-08.
11. The Coca-Cola Company. "Product List." "Brand List"
12. • Skinny National Corp. "Skinny Water Home Page" "Skinny Story", 2009.

External links

• J. Moskin. "Must be Something in the Water." New York Times. February 15, 2006. "Bottled Water"