Plant based waters are poised for success, says Kate Mulconroy, principal technical advisor at Leatherhead Food Research.

Since its arrival onto the global beverage market, coconut water has gone from strength to strength, quickly moving beyond its niche beginnings and into the mainstream. Coconut water touted benefits such as hydration, refreshment and nutrition in a more natural format than traditional energy and carbonated soft drinks.

Claims relating to naturally high levels of electrolytes, including potassium, calcium and magnesium, have since resulted in widespread appeal among athletes and health conscious consumers alike. In 2013, Mintel reported that the number of coconut water product launches increased by over 500% from the five years prior.

In more recent years, other plant based waters also advertising innate health benefits have emerged onto the market, riding very much on the back of the coconut water craze. The wave of new super waters includes water derived from an array of different sources, such as bamboo, maple, birch tree, watermelon, artichoke and cactus.

Whilst these waters also tout health benefits relating to enhanced hydration and nutrient content, most promising is perhaps the lower sugar content of these products; especially when comparisons are made with carbonated soft drinks and fruit juices on the market.

Sugar rush

The recent Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) report on Carbohydrates and Health has resulted in an increased focus from the industry on the reduction of sugar in various food and drink categories.

The SACN report advises that consumers should get no more than five per cent of their total daily energy intake from free sugars, which equates to approximately 30g of sugar per day for a man and 25g of sugar per day for a woman. A typical sugar sweetened beverage, such as a carbonated soft drink, can contain a very substantial amount of sugar; 35g of sugar per serve (330ml).

However, sugar reduction is not without its challenges. Sugar imparts not only sweetness to a beverage, but also contributes to the body and mouthfeel to a formulation. Reduced sugar beverages require additives such as high intensity sweeteners to compensate for the removal of sugar.

In contrast to carbonated soft drinks, some of these new plant based waters contain a considerably lower amount of sugar, providing a more subtle sweetness. Birch water, for example, contains approximately three grams of sugar per 250ml serve. Additionally, as these waters are innately sweet, no sugar or sweeteners are added to formulations, resulting in a cleaner label.

Planting the idea

As consumers continue to shy away from beverages that are high in sugar or contain artificial sweeteners, these plant based waters can offer natural hydration with a lower sugar and calorie content.

Furthermore, wher coconut water has a very distinguishable flavour profile, some of these more novel waters are blander, with a lighter mouthfeel, making them better suited for blending with other flavours and ingredients.

However, these plant based waters are not all destined for success. In a saturated beverage market, manufacturers must work hard to make products stand out. Claims relating to nutrition and hydration and are often unsubstantiated, and products are at risk of appearing gimmicky to the increasingly discerning consumer. That said, these plant based waters do show potential as a healthy alternative to sugar laden beverages and may indeed be poised to share the popularity experienced by coconut water.

Coconut water consumption still rising

Global coconut water consumption has risen by 60 per cent over the last ten years, driven mostly by Asia and Latin America, according to Canadean.

It has only recently taken off in North America and Western Europe; whilst in the USA, volumes have leapt from less than half a million litres to nearly 200 million litres in 2014. This is wher most of the branded volumes of this potassium rich drink end up. Most of the coconuts are sourced from Brazil or Thailand, countries which have consumed the drink for many years. Much of the volume sold in countries such as India is unpackaged, or straight from the coconut, sold by street vendors.

Coconut water is heralded as being low in fat, calories and sodium and therefore good for rehydration.

Canadeans data reveals that in 2014, a total of 587 million litres of coconut water were sold worldwide, with consumption expected to rise by a further 15 per cent in 2015.

Emma Wright, Canadean analyst, says, "The trend is only set to continue as more and more of the world is turning towards healthy, low calorie soft drinks alternatives."

Many new companies have joined the market, with existing older companies entering new markets or creating new pack sizes.