German firm looks to launch dosing cap technology into SEA’s functional drinks sector
Incap Europe GmbH showcased its dosing cap technology at Vitafoods Asia held in Bangkok between September 18 and 20.
The technology works by storing active ingredients, which could come in either powder or liquid, in a sealed chamber within the bottle cap.
Once the cap is twisted, the ingredients will then drop into the bottle, ready for consumption.
“When the consumer twists the cap, it breaks a seal, releasing the contents into the beverage.
“The rationale behind this is simple – ingredients like vitamins, probiotics, and functional additives are often sensitive to moisture, light, and heat. By keeping them separate until consumption, we preserve their full effectiveness, delivering a better, more reliable product to the consumer,” said Klemens Huber, sales director at Incap Europe.
The company has also developed a line of finished products branded 2Mixed.
There are three key categories under the brand, including vitamin-infused drinks for health, caffeine and natural stimulant blends for energy, and alcoholic beverages for parties.
Its “Sleep” product, for instance, comes in the pear-lemon balm flavour and contains magnesium citrate, melatonin, and extracts of ashwagandha, hops, and ginseng.
Its “Energy shot classic”, on the other hand, is formulated with taurine, glucuronolactone, guarana extract, vitamin B6, B12, and riboflavin etc.
According to Huber, 2Mixed’s products are currently sold across European markets, with growing interest from the Middle East and the US.
The company hopes to fulfil the market gap for functional beverage that could deliver “freshest” and “most potent” actives.
“The inspiration behind Incap’s products came from recognising a gap in the beverage industry – delivering active ingredients, like vitamins or supplements, in their freshest and most potent form, just before consumption.
“Traditional premixed drinks often lose effectiveness due to ingredient degradation over time. Our solution was to create a cap that stores the ingredients separately, allowing consumers to mix them fresh with the twist of a cap, ensuring optimal potency and taste,” said Huber.
Within SEA, the company is seeing opportunities in working with local beverage companies on the back of rising consumer demand for convenient health drinks.
“South East Asia is an exciting market for us due to the increasing demand for health-focused and functional beverages. We plan to expand through collaborations with local beverage brands and distributors, offering them our innovative dosing cap technology.
“We believe the region’s growing health awareness and interest in convenience will make our products a perfect fit for consumers looking for fresh, on-demand solutions in the functional drink space."
Introducing new dosage format and consumption experience is one of the ways driving innovation forward in the functional beverage space.
South Korean firm Super Naturals Co. Ltd is another example.
The company produces liquid sachets containing vitamins and minerals which can be mixed into milk or drinking water for consumption.
Also making its appearance at Vitafoods Asia in Bangkok two years ago, the company said that SEA with its tropical weather was a potential export market for these types of “vitamin enhancer” that could be added into beverages.
