Gatorade, GNC to launch fortified coconut waters

PepsiCo’s Gatorade brand announced a joint venture agreement with nutritional retailer GNC to develop and sell fortified coconut water products. Planned under the Phenom brand name, the line will address the growing demands of health-conscious consumers for natural products to help them with their daily regimen, the company says.

“Phenom is perfectly positioned at the intersection of health and wellness and natural hydration,” said Massimo D’Amore, chief executive officer of PepsiCo Beverages Americas, in a statement. “This is an exciting new phase of our relationship with GNC. As our partner, they are a strong brand and provide well-recognized capabilities in the health and wellness space. Phenom will leverage these strengths in combination with PepsiCo’s scale and leading coconut water know-how. We see a bright future for the Phenom initiative, by meeting the growing needs of U.S. consumers with a great-tasting beverage.”

PepsiCo and Gatorade first partnered in May for the retail launch of Gatorade’s G Series Pro products.

“This is the first time GNC has joined forces with a leader in the food and beverage industry to introduce a new line of products, and we are delighted to have PepsiCo as our partner,” said Joe Fortunato, chief executive officer of GNC, in a statement. “Coconut water has been recognized as one of the fastest growing categories in the beverage industry, and we believe this joint venture represents an exciting opportunity to launch a fortified and differentiated line of coconut water products. We believe the combination of PepsiCo’s strong capabilities in the global consumer beverage market with GNC’s vitamin and mineral capabilities will uniquely position the Phenom brand of coconut water in the health and wellness market.”

The venture expands PepsiCo’s presence in the health and wellness sector, which most recently was expanded with the announcement of its Global Nutrition Group, the company says. Phenom coconut water products are expected to be available during the second quarter of 2011 at GNC locations nationwide prior to a wider release in other retailers, it says.

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