THINKNOO is shaking up the caffeine scene with its new individual, ready-to-use sachets containing premium powdered Colombian coffee and a blend of natural nutrients, launching under the banner “Smarter Coffee Powered by Nature.”

When it comes to beverage fortification, beverage-makers have embarked on their own quest to provide consumers with functional cognitive performance and energy, and ingredient suppliers are ensuring brand owners have more options that will support these dual benefits.

As physicist Albert Einstein once said: “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” As today’s American consumers look to keep moving, they are turning to various forms of energy-inducing foods and beverages. However, in the spirit of Einstein’s quote, consumers also are in search of more balanced energy resources.

Launched in 1989, TV commercials featuring the Energizer Bunny, the sunglass-wearing pink toy rabbit, have entered the vernacular as a representation for anything that endlessly continues. As more consumers strive to “get up and go,” energy drinks also have entered the mainstream, according to ingredient suppliers.

There is no shortage of new product launches within the energy drink and shot sector. According to the Netherlands-based Innova Market Insights’ database, 124 energy drink and shot products launched in the United States in 2012. Of those product launches, energy/alertness was the top health positioning.

 A study of mice with Type 2 diabetes found that a significant amount of coffee consumption could help protect against memory loss associated with advanced diabetes, as well as reduce weight gain and lower blood sugar levels, according to a May 10 article published in New York Daily News.  

Beverages have become more than just a source of refreshment. Consumers also are turning to beverages for functional benefits. Sports drinks as well as energy drinks and shots have become a source to provide a variety of functionalities.“There are quite a number of functional benefits that consumers are looking for with energy drinks and shots besides [an energy] boost,” says Garima Goel Lal, senior analyst at Mintel International, Chicago.