airforce Nutrisoda

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airforce Nutrisoda
Type Private
Founded 2003
Founder Joe and Lesley Heron
Headquarters Minneapolis, Minnesota
Industry Drink
Products Nutrient-enhanced sodas
Website nutrisoda.com


airforce Nutrisoda is the brand name of a nutrient-enhanced soda sold in the United States by the Ardea Beverage Company. Nutrisoda contains no artificial flavoring or coloring, zero sugar, zero sodium, zero aspartame, and zero to few calories.

Contents

[edit] Origins

airforce Nutrisoda was launched in 2003 by Joe Heron, previously the Senior Vice President of Novartis Medical Nutrition, and his wife, Lesley Heron. While at Novartis, Heron spent most of his days traveling between his native South Africa, to Novartis headquarters in Switzerland, and his home in Minneapolis, Minnesota. On one such flight, Heron was seated next to a passenger with a severe cold. This sparked the idea for an immune boosting beverage to protect passengers on crowded planes. Nutrisoda is now a line of nutrient-enhanced sodas that claim to provide specific wellness benefits.

[edit] Flavors

There are eight flavors of Nutrisoda containing different combinations of vitamins, minerals, herbs and other nutrients that are said to help support separate aspects of wellness.

IMMUNE: Tangerine and lime natural fruit flavors, 2000 mg of the amino acids L-Arginine, antioxidant Vitamins A and E, B-Vitamins, Folic Acid, and minerals Zinc, Chromium and Selenium.

RADIANT: Pomegranate and blackberry natural fruit flavors, amino acids L-Lysine, L-Proline and L-Arginine, antioxidants Vitamin A, Selenium, and Green tea. Research indicates antioxidants can be effective against tissue damage and signs of premature aging.

FLEX: Black cherry and apple natural fruit flavors, 600mg of Glucosamine, 300mg of Chondroitin, amino acids L-Lysine and L-Proline, Vitamins B6 & B12, Magnesium, Zinc and Ginseng, considered, in some studies, to be a natural energy booster.

SLENDER: Pink grapefruit and guava natural fruit flavors, amino acids, L-Carnitine, L-Tyrosine, Calcium, Vitamins, minerals and Super Citramax.

FOCUS: Mango and peach natural fruit flavors, Ginseng, nutrients Inositol and Choline, amino acid L-Tyrosine, and specially selected B-Vitamins, Vitamins C, E and Magnesium.

CALM: Wild berry and citron natural fruit flavors, nutrients of Choline and Inositol, B-Vitamins and Folic Acid plus Chamomile, considered to be a natural remedy for stress and tension.

ENERGIZE: Mandarin and mint natural flavors, amino acids L-Tyrosine and L-Carnitine, herbs such as Ginseng, and Guarana seed extract, B-Vitamins, Taurine, and Magnesium. Energize is the only flavor of Nutrisoda to contain caffeine.

RENEW: Watermelon and blueberry natural flavors, with one gram of fiber per serving and amino acids L-Arginine and L-Glutamine. These ingredients are said to support intestinal health and the immune system.

[edit] Product Development

airforce Nutrisoda recently underwent a repositioning from dietary supplement to conventional food. Ardea Beverage Company revised Nutrisoda formulations at the beginning of 2006 to omit the use of some herbs, while retaining certain nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and amino acids.

All herbs and nutrients used in the eight flavors of Nutrisoda are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and are considered GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) approved. ENERGIZE, CALM, FOCUS and RADIANT removed Rhodiola Rosea Extract from their formulations. Chromium (tradename Chromax) was added to ENERGIZE, IMMUNE and SLENDER, while additional amounts of the B vitamin, Inositol, were increased in both CALM and FOCUS. Ashwagandha extract (tradename Essentra) as found in CALM, and additional amounts of L-Lysine and L-Proline, as found in RADIANT, were also added during these redesigns. The flavor RENEW, was not altered or included in the repositioning, as it was added in January of 2007.

[edit] Marketing

airforce Nutrisoda marketing efforts feature Oscar, the Good Soda pup, a 9-week-old Boston Terrier puppy who looks on as the Good Soda cans perform his tricks.

[edit] Focus Test

Nutrisoda held a test at the Gaffney Middle School in South Carolina, to study the effects of the FOCUS flavor of Nutrisoda. According to Nutrisoda's website, over a 90-day period, in a controlled study, 200 South Carolinian 7th grade students received identical breakfasts during homeroom. The 100 students in group A were also served an 8.4 ounce can of FOCUS Nutrisoda with breakfast. The 100 students in group B were not served Nutrisoda Focus. Results showed improved standardized test results in the group of 100 students who drank nutrient-enhanced FOCUS. Standardized test scores increased by 8.9 percent over test results from their previous school year.

PARTICIPANTS
VARIABLE
OUTCOMES
RESULTS

Group A
100 students
Ages 12-14
55% boys
45% girls.
One 8.4 oz Nutrisoda Focusserving consumed daily for 90 days.
State tests were administered and test scores were reported. Scores were compared versus prior year scores.
Group A resulted in an average state test increase of 8.9%.*
Group B
100 students
Ages 12-14
55% boys
45% girls.
Nutrisoda Focus was not offered to group B during the test.
Group B resulted in an average state test increase of 2.6%.*


Each tenth of a percentage point for test scores indicates a major improvement. Key staff of the Cherokee County School district have observed major improvement with each percentage point change in standardized test scores.
* Data on file.

  • Percentage Improvement on Standardized Test Scores.

FRESH AIR TOUR 2007

In March of 2007, Nutrisoda embarked on a collegiate based music tour hosted by Catchpenny, an up and coming band from Minneapolis, MN. The tour showcased some of the best buzz bands from each city that the tour stopped at, and provide an opportunity for students to showcase their commitment to the environment by planting a virtual tree that later became an actual tree planted by Trees for The Future. The theme of the tour was "Good Sounds, Good Cause, Good Soda"

TOUR STOPS The Fresh Air Tour stopped at the following colleges: U of Illinois-Chicago, U of Louisville, UM-St. Louis, Bowling Green, U of Cincinnati, U of Milwaukee, Marquette U, U of Toledo, UC-San Diego, U of Toledo, and Southern Illinois University.

BANDS Catchpenny served as the host band for the tour, playing at each stop and serving as spokesman for the company. In addition, other buzz bands were added at each tour stop, attracting their fans to the tour. These bands included U of Illinois-Chicago's The Year After, U of Louisville's The October, Bowling Green's The Embassy, U of Milwaukee's On a Sun, UC-San Diego's Writer, U of Toledo's The Undeserving, and Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville's Jonathan Cour.

TREES FOR THE FUTURE In keeping with the "Good Cause" portion of the tour's slogan. airforce Nutrisoda teamed with Trees for the Future. An interactive booth was set up near the taste-testing stations where students could 'plant' a virtual tree and moments later, it would show up in their respective school's forest. At the end of the tour, for each virtual tree planted, airforce Nutrisoda donated a tree to be planted in the rainforest by Trees for the Future.

SAMPLING Nutrisoda also offered up samples of airforce Nutrisoda to students at the event, giving them the chance to taste all eight flavors while they were planting their virtual tree.

PODCASTS As part of the tour, airforce Nutrisoda sent along a video crew from Prime Productions, a video production company in Minneapolis, to document the stops and develop a 12 part podcast that currently is available for download on iTunes, YouTube.com, break.com and other video sites. The videos have been downloaded thousands of times and proved a very popular way for students to continue to be a part of the tour after it visited their school.

[edit] External links