Health and superpower in a bottle
One of the fastest growing segments in recent years has been that of functional drinks.
This article is available for reading in Trade magazin 2024/8-9
At Coca-Cola HBC Magyarország they see that every year shoppers are focusing more on health and a balanced lifestyle, which entails a growing interest in products with added vitamins and functionality.
![](https://trademagazin.cdn.webgarden.io/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Sarkozi-Tamas-Coca-Col_opt-e1724762523597.jpeg)
Tamás Sárközi
acting marketing director
Coca-Cola HBC
Magyarország
“This trend is increasingly shaping the functional drinks market and the consumer needs in this segment”,
says acting marketing director Tamás Sárközi.
Support when doing sports
Coca-Cola HBC Magyarország is present in the functional drinks category with its Powerade brand, in five variants: Powerade Mountain Blast, Powerade Mountain Blast Zero, Powerade Golden Mango, Powerade Lemon, and Powerade Blood Orange. Four are available with classic sugar content and one is sold in a zero sugar version. Powerade is a non-carbonated isotonic sports drink, containing carbohydrates and sodium to replace fluid lost through sweating during intense exercise. In 2024 the new product is Powerade Golden Mango, which was inspired by the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, as the Powerade brand is an official sponsor of the event. The drink is packed with electrolytes and vitamin B6 to energise muscles and cater for the body’s salt intake.
![Vecsei Márton SWISS](https://trademagazin.cdn.webgarden.io/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Vecsei-Marton-SWISS-La_opt-1-e1654689698472-254x300.jpeg)
Márton Vecsei
head of soft drink brands
HELL ENERGY
Márton Vecsei, head of soft drink brands at HELL ENERGY Magyarország Kft. explains that finding a good price position can be a challenge for brands in the current market environment.
“SWISS Laboratory soft drinks are made with added vitamins, preservative- and aspartame-free, and contain quality ingredients, making them the perfect choice for keeping one’s vitamin stock up. From February 2024 the latest SWISS Laboratory product can be found on store shelves: SWISS Sour Cherry ZERO, with an incredibly high collagen content of 3,250 ml”,
says Mr Vecsei.
![](https://trademagazin.cdn.webgarden.io/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/PT9_Funkcios72_opt-300x199.jpeg)
Over the last 1-2 years, the sports drinks category has seen the most dynamic growth within the non-alcoholic categories
Shoppers want more from products
In the functional drinks category consumer preference continues to be driven by brand, taste and product benefits. Consumers want something more than just quenching their thirst, so they need products that satisfy their extra needs. Functional drinks aren’t just for people who lead active lives, as vitamin intake is important for everyone.
![](https://trademagazin.cdn.webgarden.io/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Kaszas-Attila-Viwa-20_opt-e1713641382366-244x300.jpeg)
Attila Kaszás
managing director
Viwa product Europa
According to Attila Kaszás, managing director of Viwa product Europa Kft., more and more people are looking for complex product variants, for example collagen-containing functional drinks are very popular this year. In 2024 Viwa product Europa Kft. launched its new vitamin water Viwa Body Pro, containing 3,000mg of premium collagen per bottle.
“We are in a fortunate position, as consumers know that the Viwa brand name stands for outstanding quality, and the recently launched collagen-enriched Viwa Body Pro has also become an instant favourite”,
informs Mr Kaszás.
For everybody, for every occasion
Maspex Olympos Kft.’s Apenta+ 750ml non-carbonated functional drinks contain a variety of vitamins, minerals and plant extracts.
![](https://trademagazin.cdn.webgarden.io/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Peres-Patricia-Maspex_opt-e1679690608946-232x300.jpeg)
Patrícia Peres
brand manager
Maspex Olympos
“In this category the most popular product is our collagen drink, which has 3,000mg of collagen. Since February 2024 it has also been available in peach flavour”,
says brand manager Patrícia Peres.
In June 3 new carbonated Apenta+ vitamin drinks appeared on store shelves: white peach flavour Apenta+ Immuno, pomegranate-acai-red grape flavour Anti-Stress, and Apenta+ Boost in pink grapefruit flavour.
![](https://trademagazin.cdn.webgarden.io/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Varkonyi-Vilmos-Maspe_opt-e1676550322713-236x300.jpeg)
Vilmos Várkonyi
group brand manager
Maspex Olympos
Topjoy has launched new vitamin-fortified functional fruit drinks this year. The products are available in three flavours with 20% fruit content: multivitamin flavour Immunity, apple-peach flavour Vitality, and Fitness with 0% added sugar in apple-pineapple-orange-lemon flavour.
Energy and sports drinks continue to be popular, with consumers becoming more conscious and focusing on health benefits and composition.
![](https://trademagazin.cdn.webgarden.io/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Szabo-Judit-R-Water-2_opt-e1713641320401-214x300.jpeg)
Judit Szabó
sales manager
R-Water
“Every year the range of products offered in the different retail channels is growing. Thanks to continuous education, many people know what a product’s function is good for and hopefully fewer and fewer people believe that a single functional drink is good for everything”,
opines Judit Szabó, sales manager of R-Water Kft.
![](https://trademagazin.cdn.webgarden.io/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/PT9_Funkcios45_opt-300x199.jpeg)
Finding a good price position can be a challenge for brands
Expanding portfolio
R-Water Kft.’s experience is that it is trendy to look fit and youthful and to live a dynamic life. The amino acid composition of the company’s sports drinks gives consumers specific support, for example in fat loss, recovery or muscle building. Consumption is always recommended with sporting activities, but it should be stressed that this doesn’t only mean professional training or gym activity. At the moment the packaging of Absolute Live products is being replaced with an ergonomic, slim bottle design.
![](https://trademagazin.cdn.webgarden.io/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/PT9_Funkcios3_opt-300x199.jpeg)
Conscious living is becoming more and more important, from which the market will benefit
![](https://trademagazin.cdn.webgarden.io/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Kishazi-Anna-Sio_opt_c.jpg)
Anna Kisházi
marketig manager
Sió-Eckes
Anna Kisházi, marketing manager of Sió-Eckes Kft. reckons one of the biggest challenges in the category is seasonality, with drinks with added vitamins (such as shots) being more popular in the autumn-winter season and functional waters in the summer.
“We are proud that the functionality of our hohes C brand is based on the fact that as a pioneering brand in health preservation, one glass (250ml) of any of our juice and shot products and one bottle of our hohes C Water covers the daily vitamin C needs of an adult”,
says Anna Kisházi.
Hohes C Water was launched in the spring of 2023 and this was an important milestone in the life of the company, as they entered a new category. It is available in three flavours, in three different formulations – blackcurrant-mint Antiox, orange and passion fruit Energy, and lime-ginger Immune.
Following the trends
The category is becoming increasingly diverse, in terms of product composition, packaging, and pricing alike. Manufacturer brands dominate, but private labels have already appeared on the scene. In terms of packaging demand is bigger for portable products, but sustainability considerations are also entering the spotlight.
![](https://trademagazin.cdn.webgarden.io/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Pinczes-Marianna-Virgi_opt-e1676547814498-239x300.jpeg)
Marianna Pinczés
managing director
Virgin Oil Press
“If the contradiction between the popular single-serve packaging and sustainability can be resolved, for example by offering a viable option for bottle return, refilling, recycling with these small-sized products – then the commitment can deepen”,
explains Marianna Pinczés, managing director of Virgin Oil Press Kft.
Virgin Oil Press Kft. is present in the functional drinks market with 3 flavours of a single product. They started from scratch when they came out with FROT fruit and vegetable purées with cold-pressed oils. The biggest challenge was to become visible and Grapoila FROTs were able to enter one of the largest drugstore chains right from the start. As the name suggests, Grapoila FROTs (FRuit & Oil Together) combine the bioactive substances of fruit and vegetable purées with the nutrients of seed oils, to give complex support for the body.
![](https://trademagazin.cdn.webgarden.io/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/PT9_Funkcios749_opt-300x199.jpeg)
Consumers want to be able to choose from a wide portfolio of flavours and ingredients
Inspired by nature
Innovation and new trends are a priority for Import-Trade Hungary and they are expanding their brands and products accordingly.
![](https://trademagazin.cdn.webgarden.io/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Hajdu-Janos-In-Food20_opt-scaled-e1698863298813-215x300.jpeg)
János Hajdu
key account manager
In-Food 2000
“The Hungarian functional drinks market has been saturated for several years, but it is still growing. Since January we have been successfully marketing the Rio H2O range in Lemon, Red Orange-Hibiscus and Grapefruit flavours. All three products contain vitamins D3, C, B6 and B12, niacin, folic acid and pantothenic acid, and they are bottled with 40% less sugar. In May we added Vigo Kombucha drinks to our product selection, in BIO and standard versions”,
reports key account manager János Hajdu.
This year Cafe Frei rolled out a ready-to-drink product that is considered a fresh idea in its category in Hungary: Sparkling Coffee, a carbonated coffee soft drink in 200ml size, in mango and vanilla flavours. This type of coffee drink stands alone in Hungary, but it is very popular worldwide.
![Szuna Noémi](https://trademagazin.cdn.webgarden.io/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Szuna-No%C3%A9mi_opt-e1638950739470-233x300.jpeg)
Noémi Szuna
marketing manager
Cafe Frei
“Our objective is to offer an attractive option for those who would prefer a caffeinated refreshment rather than an energy drink. Natural caffeine, minerals, protein, and collagen are all key words in the functional drinks segment, which deserve special attention”,
says marketing manager Noémi Szuna. //
A new dimension in milk consumption
Consumer commitment to healthy eating and the social perception of the latter have increased significantly in recent years. At the same time interest in special milk and dairy products with higher added nutritional value is steadily growing.
![](https://trademagazin.cdn.webgarden.io/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Bak-Andras-es-Bak-Gabo_opt-e1724763586521-236x300.jpeg)
András Bak
owner
A2 Tej Trade Kft. and Dunatáj Mg.
“Quality ingredients make good products, special ingredients make special products. A2 raw milk could be the dairy ‘revolution’ of the coming years”,
says András Bak, owner of A2 Tej Trade Kft. and Dunatáj Mg.
![](https://trademagazin.cdn.webgarden.io/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Bak-Andras-es-Bak-Gabo_opt-1-e1724763640524-222x300.jpeg)
Gábor Bak
owner
A2 Tej Trade Kft. and Dunatáj Mg.
“One of the most important components of milk is milk protein, which consists of two basic parts: whey and casein. Every milk available in shops contains a mixture of A1 and A2 β-casein and is called A1 milk. However, if the milk contains only A2 β-casein, it is called A2 milk. Research results show that A2 milk is much easier for the human body to digest and it is less allergenic”,
explains Gábor Bak, the other owner of the company. //
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