Top trends
Consumer Awareness
The consumer is more informed than ever before. According to AKI Group head of food service solutions Doreen Smith: “People acknowledge and appreciate quality water. Their increasing awareness of what they put in their bodies is helping educating the market. It’s not only the sodium level the consumer nowadays is interested in the total package they are buying.”
Fresh Express LLC brand manager — beverage Omar Al Sharif agrees saying: “Bottled water consumption is extremely high and due to this, consumers are becoming more aware of the kind of water they are consuming. They are taking into account the mineral content, the sodium levels, etc and becoming more cautious of what water they are drinking.
In the UAE, labelling and municipality regulation is strict ensuring that consumers know exactly what they are purchasing. “The labels are regulated by ESMA and the Emirates Quality Mark (EQM). So the difference, simply put, is natural mineral water is natural and bottled drinking water is purified, often by reverse osmosis, with the minerals added back. You will find one set of these three words on every water bottle sold in the UAE,” adds Lanjarón Arabia Distributors president Jason Moore.
Sparkling
The speciality water segment has also seen substantial growth. Al Sharif says: “We are noticing a higher consumption of sparkling water than previous years. Consumers are beginning to enjoy having sparkling water that complements their dinner, their wine or simply as a refreshment on its own in weather like in the UAE. It is a much healthier alternative to all the soft drinks out there and provides the same refreshing feeling of a carbonated infused beverage.”
Sustainability
Rising awareness of environmental pollution has brought sustainability to the forefront for the majority of hotel chains. La Marquise International marketing manager Olga Cassidy says: “Hoteliers are seeking to reduce waste and CO2 emissions in various aspects, including the food and beverage operations.” Cassidy continues: “Nordaq Fresh is a sustainable product. The whole process is environmentally friendly and cost effective.”
Another bottled water company investing in sustainable practices is Lanjarón Arabia Distributors.
“We offer a “Recycling-Made-Easy” campaign where we pick up our customers’ used bottles during deliveries and recycle them,” says Moore.
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