Doctors and dentists are coming across increased number of cases of cracked teeth and insomnia as the coronavirus pandemic is affecting the global stress levels.
PepsiCo’s recently launched drink Driftwell is all set to prove itself as a way to tackle the problem.
Pepsi staffs came up with a plan for a beverage that can assist consumers to get relieved from stress and relax before sleeping as part of an internal competition initiated by CEO, Ramon Laguarta last year. The concept worked and the food and beverage leader started working on the plan. Emily Silver, VP of innovation and capabilities at Pepsi’s North American beverages facility informed that it is the fastest new product to ever come out of the firm. It will be available on e-marketing sites by December and in grocery shops in the first quarter of 2021.
“I think we’re releasing this at a time when there is increased consumer interest than that was earlier, given everything that’s going on from a macro perspective,” Silver stated.
The functional water drink contains 200 mg of L-threonine, an amino acid found in green and black teas and some mushrooms.
A few analyses have advised that the ingredient can enhance sleep quality and can help alleviate the physical symptoms of stress.
“From a scientific and regulatory viewpoint, we feel really pleased about making that claim around L-threonine. Particularly, we have safety in clinical data to prove that it works,” he added.
Driftwell also comprises of 10% of the recommended daily value of magnesium. The drink comes in mini cans of 7.5-ounce in blackberry lavender flavour. As per the words of Silver, it’s the best-suited size for hydration before bedtime without any other bathroom trip need.
Modified water beverages witnessed a $2.97 billion market in the U.S. in 2019, as per the data from Euromonitor International, which predicts that their fame will bolster sales by about 5% this year. Relaxation drinks are a much micro category, although their popularity in Japan depicts that they could become a part of Americans’ everyday timetable.
“It’s an evolving category, and it’s one frankly that we think we can build from a [liquid refreshment beverage] perspective,” Silver declared.
Smaller firms on the other hand, are creating their own de-stress drinks by adding CBD to sparkling water and touting them as a sleep aid or a measure to unwind, although not much research has been performed to support those claims. However, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has prohibited addition of any cannabis compound to food and drinks.