Celebrities are drinking it, so are healthy types and even partiers looking for a natural hangover cure.
Americans seems to be going nuts over coconut water, the latest beverage trend. Though its long been a diet staple in Latin America, parts of Asia and the tropics, the low-cal sweet drink is just starting to catch on here and one local company is developing new flavors and concepts just in time for a expected boom in sales.
Wild Flavors company, in Erlanger, has developed and tested a variety of coconut water flavors that include tropical fruits like mango, passion fruit, acai berry, strawberry guava, lime citrus, tropical pineapple and pomegranate berry. The company said it's also developed a young green coconut flavor that makes coconut water "taste like it is fresh from the tree."
The
Northern Kentucky company, which manufactures ingredients for the food and beverage industry, has also developed concepts that contain coconut water with added flavors, colors, sweeteners, juices, teas, and/or health and wellness ingredients.
"WILD not only offers unique flavors for coconut water, including the young, green coconut flavor that can help balance out off-tastes that may be associated with coconut water from older coconuts, but also concepts that combine coconut water with other natural, healthy beverages," said Jessica Jones-Dille Wild Flavors' Sr. Manager, Industry Trends and Market Research. According to Jones-Dille, Wild Flavors will be showcasing a Coconut Water and White Tea Refreshment Beverage at the Institute of Food Technologists Expo in Chicago July 18-20.
Coconut water appears poised for big growth. Pepsi last year purchased Brazil's biggest coconut water company, and Coke purchased a stake in California-based ZICO beverages, a startup launched in 2004. Coconut water in the U.S has typically been marketed in niche sectors like health stores among yoga groups but is being pushed into to a wider market. It's being marketed as a natural alternative to sports drinks because it is high in potassium, electrolytes and fat-free.
"The trend towards healthy, natural beverages has been developing for several years and coconut water seems to be one of the newest iterations of this trend. Coconut water is gaining great momentum in the marketplace because it offers consumers a low-calorie, natural alternative to traditional sports drinks, juices, or other beverages," Jones-Dille said.
Writer Feoshia Henderson
Source: Jessica Jones-Dille Wild Flavors' Sr. Manager, Industry Trends and Market Research
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