Functional coffee: Ezaki Glico release series of drinks for blood sugar and stress relief
The three coffee milk drinks within the series include Cafeore Yuru-reset (180ml), Cafeore Yuru-release (180ml) and Mild Cafeore Yuru-reset (500ml).
The company said these beverages respond to the growing health consciousness of consumers.
“Based on recent trends in health consciousness and popularity of chocolates with health functionality, we think people actually want functionality in coffee products as well,” the firm’s spokesperson said.
According to the company, the beverages were first released in 1979, and the FFC label was timely in celebrating its 40th year anniversary.
They have been sold nationwide in convenience stores, and supermarkets from September 2019.
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Both the Cafeore Yuru-reset and Mild Cafeore Yuru-reset contain 5g of indigestible dextrin which is a dietary fiber said to help slow sugar and fat absorption post-meal, suppressing blood sugar and triglyceride rise in the blood.
The Cafeore Yuru-release drink contains 28mg of GABA (γ-aminobutyric acid), an amino acid which provides a temporary mental stress relief function.
The products retail for JPY129 for the 180ml drinks, and JPY141 for 500ml.
The firm’s spokesperson said there are no plans to sell the beverages overseas.
Besides coffee, the company released its first functional chocolate brand, GABA chocolate in 2005, which similar to the coffee products, contained GABA amino acid to reduce stress levels.
The firm also launched another chocolate brand Libera in 2016. It contains indigestible dextrin and dietary fibres said to suppress the absorption of ingested sugars and fat.
The firm also claims to launch the first FFC collagen drink in Japan with skin hydration benefits. The drink contains monoglucosyl hesperidin and fish-derived low-molecular-weight collagen peptides, which are said to aid with peripheral blood flow and retain moisture content of the skin.
In its financial results earning report, the company achieved sales of JPY 350 billion (US$3.2 trillion) as of March 31, 2019.
It revealed that the growth rate of high value-added health brands such as GABA and Libera had increased 58% and 70% in FYE2018 and 2019 respectively, compared to FYE2017.
The report also revealed than its core brand Cafeore had struggled, with revenue decreasing 0.9% compared to the previous year. The company plans to continue maximising continuous growth of its core brands and create new markets based on its added-value health brands.
