Drink Tech Expo: Top drinks come to town

Prospective buyers in the beverage industry left Zabeel Hall of the Dubai International Exhibition Centre this week feeling a bit jittery and on edge as a result of overindulging in caffeine and energy drinks.

Dubai Drink Technology Expo 2008 presented the latest products the beverage industry has to offer.

As the expo comes to an end this week, we take a look at some of the items that will make their way to a supermarket shelf near you.

X35

A few years ago, Shireen Abdul Karim visited Mecca for Umrah (lesser pilgrimage). The strain of the activity got to her and she decided to get an energy drink to help her get through the day.

“When I drank it I found that it had a very chemical aftertaste, it just put me off energy drinks. But while I was in Mecca I was introduced to the Black Seed and all its health benefits,” says the Briton who embraced Islam 10 years ago. Abdul Karim decided to combine her bad introduction to energy drinks with her pleasant introduction to the Black Seed.

“X35 is unique because it is made with the extract of Black Seed, or Habbat al Baraka (Seed of Blessings) as it is known in Arabic, and to our knowledge is the only drink in the Middle East to do so. X35 is totally free of Taurine, which has been linked to the negative health side effects of energy drinks.”

She says that X35 has many benefits including improving physical capabilities, strengthening the immune system, improving mental powers and combating illness and fatigue.

“Black seed has been used in Middle Eastern culture for many centuries. It was found in the grave of Tutankhamen and is known for its many healing and health promoting properties. It is now being used in the study of many diseases including cancer research.”

“The medicinal properties of the seed are mentioned in the Quran, Old Testament and Torah,” says Abdul Karim

X35 hit shelves in Dubai four months ago and is available at most major retail stores, cafes, bars and petrol stations. It has already sold over one million units in the Middle East.


Phil-O-Cap

This unassuming bottle cap, which can be mistaken as just another spout cap for sports drinks, is actually an item that has the potential to revolutionise the bottled beverage industry.

Pelliconi, an Italian bottle cap maker has come up with a simple yet innovative solution for many sports beverage makers problem of maintaining potency with shelf life.

“The problem with every value added vitamin and sports drinks is that when supplements, vitamins, or flavours are added to liquids they immediately begin loosing their potency. And the longer the bottle sits on the shelf the less potent it becomes,” explains Pascal Piroué, Commercial Director of Pelliconi. “This is a system which will maximise the potency by adding the vitamins and supplements to the liquid at the time of consumption.”

The cap has a compartment which stores the powdered vitamin or supplement. When you’re ready to drink just push the button on the cap to release the powder, shake and drink up.

“This can be used with any liquid still or carbonated, and any powdered additive can be stored in the cap,” says Piroué.

The product is so new that the company still hasn’t agreed on a product name, “the Development name was Phil-O-Cap, but we are hoping to change it to some thing like Flavour cap.”

Top Cup

Instant coffee just got a bit more instant. F Kamber trading is offering to package any solute based beverage in a cup for convenient usage.

Dubbed Top Cup, the solute is sealed to the bottom of the cup; all you have to do is peal off the cap and add hot water. They have already got Nestle on board doing multiple flavours of their Nescafe line from cappuccino to hot chocolate; they also have Maggi soups, Cadbury and Lipton tea.

“Our cups are fifth degree polypropylene, tested, certified and approved by the Dubai Central Laboratory. We are currently available at Emarat petrol stations and on Gulf Air flights,” says Alex Savula, International Sales Manager.

Top Cup retail price is Dh1.85 per cup and is also available in 10 cup sleeves for Dh18.50.