Not many people associate Cola with healthy drinking. Despite this, two Japanese companies have in the last few years produced healthy, functional Colas containing dietary fibre to help with the body’s absorption of fat. In 2012, Kirin launched “Met’s Cola”, authorised by the Japanese Government as “FOSHU”, and one of the best-selling soft drinks that year. PEPSI from Suntory followed at the end of 2012 with a similar product called “PEPSI Special”, also FOSHU and with the same fibre and functionality.
This year it is Coca Cola Japan’s (CCJC) turn to enter the market.
“Coca-Cola Plus” will be in stores on 27th March 2017 in a 470ml PET bottle and costing 147JPY (US$ 1.30). CCJC claims that “Coca-Cola Plus” has the same great taste as regular Coke, and this is the main point which the company hopes will encourage the FOSHU Cola market to rebound. Containing in each bottle 5g of indigestible dextrin to help absorb fat and moderate the levels of fat in the blood following a meal, it is aimed at the over 40s and is specifically designed for consumption at the same time as eating foods like pizza, ramen, fried chicken and the other fatty foods. Also carrying the official FOSHU mark Coke+ is non sugar, non fat, and has zero calories.
Unlike the other products in Coca-Cola’s line-up such as; “Regular” Coke, Coke Zero and Coke Zerofree (non caffeine) which all push the same brand, the same taste, and the same image through the same red coloured packaging, bottles of “Coke+” are bright white, offering a very clear message to consumers that this is “something different”.
It is almost 4 years since the boom of the “healthy cola” war, and while nobody knows whether this new “healthy Cola” will help the market peak again, CCJC is hoping that by offering consumers not only health but also “the same great taste” Coke+ will help this to come about.
This new Coke is a special product because it has been developed for, and will only be sold in, the Japanese market. Does it sound like something you want to try? Do you want get healthy by drinking Coke?!