Some like it light

By reducing the calorie content of juice drinks or adding active ingredients, manufacturers are making sure that products appeal to the health-conscious.

ORANGE-plus flavours provide one of the current success stories in juice and juice drinks, says Lucozade Ribena Suntory. In response to the demand Ribena added Orange & Guava flavour to its RTD portfolio this spring, supported by a £1m media spend. The company quotes Nielsen figures showing the Ribena tropical range as adding 75% incremental sales to the juice drinks category within a year of being in market.
Hannah Norbury, Ribena marketing director, said: “We know that new flavours strongly appeal to a young demographic. Ribena Orange & Guava has tested strongly for appeal and purchase intent, with the flavour resonating well with 18-24s and 25-34s in particular.”

Ribena’s Orange & Guava RTD is the company’s response to the popularity of drinks that combine orange with another flavour. Juiceburst has a new range, Juiceburst Skinny, sweetened with stevia, that comes in at under 100 calories per bottle. Made with 80% fruit, it counts as one of five a day.
Ribena’s Orange & Guava RTD is the company’s response to the popularity of drinks that combine orange with another flavour. Juiceburst has a new range, Juiceburst Skinny, sweetened with stevia, that comes in at under 100 calories per bottle. Made with 80% fruit, it counts as one of five a day.

• Juiceburst has responded to the government’s drive to reduce sugar in diets with a range of lower calorie juice drinks called Juiceburst Skinny. The drinks have 99 calories per bottle, are sweetened with stevia and come in Peach & Passionfruit, Cherry & Apple and Mango & Lime flavours.
• The Cracker Drinks Co has added a No Added Sugar range to its portfolio, to offer consumers what it calls “the quality of chilled with the convenience of ambient, with no artificial colours, preservatives or flavours”.
The drinks are 80% juice and count as one of five a day. Flavours are: Mango & Passion Fruit; Apple, Strawberry & Cranberry; Blackcurrant & Cherry; Pineapple, Coconut & Lime; and Still & Cloudy Lemonade.
• Berry White’s organic juice drinks in Pomegranate & Blueberry and Peach & Goji Berry flavours are now listed by Waitrose. The company argues that consumers are interested in health-beneficial drinks containing what it calls “body-boosting ingredients” such as white tea and South American yerba mate.
• J2O’s summer flavour, Pear Gold, is back for another year. It’s a blend of pear and guava, designed to provide an alternative to alcohol at social occasions.
The company quotes Nielsen figures showing that, last year, 72% of consumers purchasing Pear Gold were completely new to J2O, with repeat purchase rates well above average at 25%.
• Raspberry ketone is the latest active ingredient in the Skinny Water drinks range. The company says it is “proving a popular choice amongst health-conscious consumers thanks to its fortified B6 enhancement, known for speeding up the human metabolism”. The new flavour is available in a 500ml bottle.