White Hat Brands Introduces New Multi-Vitamin Fortified Juice Beverages for Kids

These two new fortified juice beverages are being introduced to retailers today at the FMI trade show in Chicago to meet retailers’ growing demand for functional beverages expected to generate industry sales of more than $46.3 billion in 2007 and $53.9 billion by 2010.

26/05/07 White Hat Brands LLC, a beverage company  committed to youth wellness, announced that it is introducing a new  line of multi-vitaminfortified, mid-calorie juice beverages specifically  formulated to help combat childhood obesity and Type 2 diabetes among  pre-teens. The new product line will go to market under the  flagship brand Dog On It! and will feature two new fortified juice  beverages – “Barkin’ Berry” and “Tail Waggin’ Orange.”

These two new fortified juice beverages are being introduced to retailers today at the FMI trade show in Chicago to meet retailers’ growing demand for functional beverages expected to generate industry sales of more than $46.3 billion in 2007 and $53.9 billion by 2010.

The introduction of Dog On It! follows the growing appeal of functional beverages. White Hat Brands, launched in February 2006, is looking to create an entirely new segment within the category by introducing a selection of mid-calorie, vitamin-fortified juice beverages formulated and packaged for tweens to capture marketshare in the growing niche of functional beverages – a fast-emerging category that has grown significantly since 2003, when the category made up 6 per cent of overall functional beverage sales and had been experiencing 7% annual growth for the previous five years running.

"Mid-calorie, multi-vitamin-fortified juice beverages provide a new way for kids to eat right and stay fit and put mom and dad at ease about the nutritional value of products their children are consuming,” said Kevin P. Quirk, president and chief executive officer, White Hat Brands, LLC. "Our extensive research and focus groups reveal that our new line of products not only surprise kids with great taste despite the high concentration of nutrient-rich ingredients, but they are tailor-made to appeal to parents who are demanding healthier juice beverages for their kids that are free of excess sugar and high-calorie ingredients like high fructose corn syrup, which we now know contribute to childhood obesity and Type 2 diabetes among tweens."

White Hat Brands is committed to formulating products in which the caloric content and nutritional value is optimized, an approach the company has trademarked as “Make the Calories Count.” According to Food & Drug Administration guidelines, Dog On It! fortified juice beverages are excellent sources of calcium with extra vitamins A, B, C, D, E and minerals; they are only 80 calories per 8 ounce serving – lower than any of the nation’s established juice beverages of its kind. In an effort to reinforce the importance of portion control and deliver convenience to on-the-go families, the company is launching Dog On It! in eight-ounce single-serving bottles to be sold in multi-pack format at retail.

All Dog On It! fortified juice beverages are specially formulated to meet the taste preferences and nutritional requirements of kids ages 8-12, and support the growing importance among parents to increase their kids’ daily consumption of calcium, vitamins and minerals and decrease their sugar intake. The product contains no high fructose corn syrups, no artificial sweeteners and no artificial colors or flavors.