Vietnam’s first natural mineral water brand bottled directly from mountain spring to provide perfect alkalinity

29 Aug 2022 --- Vikoda has launched a new alkaline water product with a pH of 9.0 to optimize health benefits and meet rising consumer demands for natural beverages.

The Vietnamese company, Khanh Hoa Mineral Water Joint Stock Company which owns Vikoda (formerly known as Danh Thanh Mineral Water Enterprise), uses its spring deep at the foot of Hon Chuong mountain in The Annamite Range of eastern Indochina.

The water is bottled directly at the source to preserve the alkaline minerals that provide its natural pH and health benefits. 

“Mineral water extracted from the source is put directly into the extraction plant, so this is literally a precious gift from nature, without any artificial alkaline treatment process,” says  Nguyen Nhat Hoang, general director at Vikoda.

Rising consumer trends leak into the water industry 
There have been rising consumer trends toward awareness of the health properties of food and beverages. FoodIngredientsFirst has reported consumers desiring more for a “healthy lifestyle” and doing so with the products they consume. 

Vikoda has kept this top of mind when developing its new water. 

Alkaline water trending upward as health concerns rise.

When absorbed by the body, alkaline minerals help neutralize excess acid in the stomach, restoring a natural balance. This occurs due to the pH of 9.0 being more basic and interacting with acidity. 

High stomach acidity levels can be triggered by red meat, alcohol and processed foods. Processed foods can negatively affect one’s mental health, as previously reported. 

Vikoda’s water contains many microelements and natural minerals such as bicarbonate, calcium, potassium, magnesium, sodium and metasilicic acid. 

These ingredients give the water health benefits and counteract the effects of acidic foods on the stomach. The water has a mildly sweet taste due to the pH level. 

According to research conducted by the Ministry of Health, Hospital of Khanh Hoa Province in 1978, three groups of patients with chronic hepatitis were each given one liter of Vikoda natural alkaline mineral water per day for a year. Most patients show a marked improvement in their overall health.

What makes the water alkaline
Alkaline water gets its name from the alkaline minerals in the water’s composition. 

The pH scale runs from 0 to 14. Lower numbers are more acidic, while the higher numbers are more basic. This scale also measures the alkalinity of water. The higher the alkalinity levels, the lower the acidity. 

The average water pH is 7.0, while the average alkaline mineral water is 7.3 to 8.5. Vikodas alkaline water being more basic aids the body in restoring its healthyAlkaline water contains health benefits from its pH. pH levels, which are between 7.3 and 7.4. 

Water competition 
There is competition for Vikoda due to the water industry’s rapid growth. Another alkaline water company was expected to raise US$5 million in May. 

Countries such as Japan and France have world-famous water brands sold at a premium, driving up the market and creating competition. The product quality and price must compete with the top to have a place in the market. 

Khanh Hoa Mineral Water Joint Stock Company predicted high levels of competition, so they prepared by investing in a complete system of modern production lines from Germany and Italy with a capacity of 180 million liters per year. 

“Danh Thanh natural mineral water permeated many geological layers and accumulated over hundreds of years to form a mineral stream deep underground, but its reserves are limited. Currently, the factory only extracts about 500m³ per day, produces more than 1.5 million bottles of water, this quantity seem to be too small compared to the market of 100 million people,” says Nguyen Van Sang, the chairman of the F.I.T Group which owns Khanh Hoa Mineral Water Joint Stock Company.

Vikoda is available in restaurants, high-end hotels, large supermarket chains, convenience stores, water agents and grocery stores across Vietnam. Soon, they plan to progress into export markets such as Asian and European countries. 

Edited by Sabine Waldeck