7 April 2008 - According to the Wall Street Journal, Austrian Energy drink producer Red Bull is launching a premium cola beverage called "Red Bull Cola" in 7 countries over the next several months.
It will be sold starting in late April or early May in the UK, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Ireland and Russia. It will then be sold in the US market in June.
The Journal reports that the soda will not contain preservatives, phosphoric acid or artificial flavours. It will contain natural ingredients including kola nut and coca leaf.
The cola will also have more caffeine, at 45 milligrams per 12-ounce can, than Coca-Cola or Pepsi-Cola. Meanwhile, it is expected that the suggested retail price will be $1.49 for a 12-ounce can, more expensive than the average can of Coke, adds the WSJ.
John Sicher of Beverage Digest commented: “It's going to take more than a lot of energy to be successful in colas in the U.S. against Coke and Pepsi … Others have tried without much success. Red Bull's a terrific brand, but Coke and Pepsi have extremely strong cola brands, and Red Bull will have real challenges making any kind of dent".
FLEXNEWS last week reported that Red Bull obtained access to the French market for its classic energy drinks. France’s food safety agency AFSSA had previously not authorised the sale of Red Bull’s products due to the presence of taurine, an organic acid in the drinks, as its long term effects on the human body are not well known. Red Bull, in order to enter France, removed the taurine ingredient and swapped it with arginine.