A rapidly growing segment in the food and beverage industry that is having an impact on both food content and packaging is the functional food and beverage market. Functional foods providing health and beauty benefits are experiencing overwhelming growth, with americans spending more than 27 billion on such products in 2007. For many functional food and beverage products, maximum potency and effectiveness relies on the way in which ingredients are delivered. In july, los angelesbased activate launched a line of functional beverages that depends upon a customdesigned cap to keep vitamins and other healthful ingredients fresh until consumption. According to the company&rsquos web site, &ldquoa study conducted by an independent analytical laboratory shows that vitamins and other healthful ingredients deteriorate sitting in water. Vitamin c loses 80 of its potency after only 30 days.&rdquo activate&trade in four varieties&mdashimmunity, antioxidant, energy, and vitamin&mdashconsists of 16 oz of water packaged in a pet bottle capped by a custom closure that stores 3 g of dry ingredient. The bottle, from mpi packaging www.mpipkg.com, is distributed by zuckerman honickman www.zhinc.com, while the cap is from a proprietary supplier. When the consumer twists the upper cavity of the cap clockwise, an internal blade within the closure turns and pierces a plastic membrane separating the powdered formula from the water. After the membrane is cut, the ingredients are released into the beverage, which is then ready for consumption. A new iteration of the cap is planned for introduction that will hold more ingredient and will be more &ldquodistinguishable&rdquo.
