Yakult and Vitagen are two popular probiotic drinks, known for their ability to help maintain a healthy digestive system. The former is a fermented probiotic milk product that contains the bacteria strain Lactobacillus casei Shirota, discovered by a Japanese scientist called Minoru Shirota in the 1930s. Vitagen, on the other hand, is a brand of cultured milk founded in Malaysia. Over the years, both products have built up a solid base of consumers and are considered the leading brands in the liquid probiotics market. However, there is an ongoing debate over which drink is the healthier or tastier option. As a long-time consumer of Yakult, I decided to put an end to this debate by conducting a blind taste test between Yakult and Vitagen. I called on my friends and family to find out which drink is the better choice once and for all. This research aims to give a clear and unbiased conclusion to people who often struggle to choose between Yakult and Vitagen. As both drinks claim to offer various health benefits, such as boosting immunity and improving digestion, it is interesting to see how the preference of the consumers will vary. So, the ultimate goal of my research is not only to hence the true winner between Yakult and Vitagen but also to provide some supportive evidence to which drink is healthier and tastier based on the preferences of the consumers.
Background information
Some of the Vitagen bottles are labeled with the words “prebiotic fibers”. These fibers are added to the product with an aim to enhance the functions of the good bacteria. Prebiotic fibers can help to improve calcium absorption and other minerals in the body, as well as increase the number of beneficial bacteria in the colon. On the other hand, prebiotic fibers are also known to increase stool bulk and reduce the time of cancer-causing substances in the colon. Prebiotics feeding and promoting the growth of good bacteria are crucial to get the maximum benefit from the probiotics in the intestines.
As for the Vitagen, it has been in the market for more than 40 years. It was first manufactured in Malaysia in 1977, and it was the first cultured milk product with live probiotic in the Malaysian market. There are three types of Vitagen: the Vitagen Original, the Vitagen Less Sugar, and the Vitagen Cultured Milk Drink. Each bottle of Vitagen Original has around 45 billion of good bacteria that are regularly checked for its quality. The Vitagen Less Sugar only has around 25 billion of live bacteria in every bottle. These good bacteria help to improve digestion and increase the presence of beneficial microorganisms in the intestines. In addition, these bacteria can also help to give relief from bowel disorders.
Yakult has many health benefits as it is packed with around 8 billion live lactic acid bacteria in every bottle. These good bacteria can reach the gut alive to help maintain good health. They help to improve the balance of the intestinal flora and suppress the growth of harmful bacteria in the intestines. It is also known to be effective in easing constipation, and it has been shown that this product can reduce the risk of a person having diarrhea. In addition, the good bacteria can also help to stimulate the body’s natural defense system.
Yakult has a long history that dates back more than 80 years. A Japanese scientist, Minoru Shirota, invented the product in 1930. It was introduced to the market in 1935. There are two types of Yakult: the Yakult Ace Light and the Yakult Ace. The former contains no sugar, no calories, and is sweetened with a natural sweetener, steviol glycosides. On the other hand, the regular Yakult Ace has added sugar as well as dextrin, a type of dietary fiber that is indigestible and prebiotic.
Purpose of the taste challenge
The Ultimate Taste Challenge is a blind taste test designed to get honest opinions from the public about pharmaceutical companies and brand health food drink. This activity is opened to anyone who is curious to know more about the product and for those who want to prove that Yakult is the best among other products. More importantly, this taste challenge also will provide Yakult with the opportunities for the consumers to better understand the advantages and uniqueness of its exclusive Lactobacillus casei Shirota probiotic strain. This strain is unique to Yakult and is backed up by more than 80 years of foundation research and scientific studies by the renowned scientist, Dr. Minoru Shirota, who is also the founder of Yakult. On the other hand, from the result of the taste challenge, it also helps the consumers to make a healthier choice by choosing the best probiotic drink – Yakult for greater health benefits. This is quite evident from the past challenge which shows the consumer’s preferences to Yakult. In fact, Yakult has championed the previous challenges in many countries and done better in the taste challenge than Vitagen. On the same important note, this taste challenge will also provide Yakult with a good chance to build a stronger and closer relationship with the consumers. As we know, probiotic drinks are becoming more popular and this category has become very competitive. With many other existing or new products in the market, consumers are usually puzzled by the variety of product choices. By participating in this taste challenge, consumers will be given a chance to taste Yakult and to discover the special Yakult taste and its marvelous effects on health by themselves. This will surely empower the success story of Yakult.
Yakult Probiotic
Yakult is a delicious probiotic drink containing bacteria that are known to be beneficial for digestive health. According to the official Yakult website, the drink is made from “a combination of Lactobacillus casei Shirota strain and a unique strain of beneficial bacteria.” This special bacteria mixture is called the “Shirota strain.” Yakult was first created in the 1930s by a Japanese scientist called Minoru Shirota. The development of the unique Shirota strain helped to advance research on probiotics and their health benefits. To this day, the strain is named after Dr. Shirota, and Yakult contains “at least 6.5 billion of live Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota.” This information supports the general statement that the history of Yakult is closely linked to the health benefits of probiotics and the Shirota strain. Health benefits of consuming the drink include contributing to a healthy gut and a better digestive system. It is widely believed that maintaining a nice balance of ‘good and bad’ bacteria in the gut is crucial for digestion and overall health. This is a common theme among the health benefits of probiotic drinks such as Yakult. For instance, the Telegraph article mentions the ‘good and bad’ bacteria dichotomy and states that “far from being a feminist issue, a healthy gut packed with so-called ‘good bacteria’ is key to a flat tummy.” In addition to this, despite the fact that Yakult only offers one non-fermented version of the original science, the articles indicate its benefit is evident as it is focusing on the use of Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota in the digestive tract, which helps to improve bowel movements over time and helps to retain the moisture in the skin by increasing the hydration level. Gov.uk also indicates that Yakult is not only beneficial to the digestive system, but it can also make you look good. It supports the health of the intestines and is also known to be able to reduce the incidents of irritable bowel-system-like symptoms. However, there was a change made to the UK version of Yakult on 1 May 2015 based on the advertising rules. The statement “Yakult, a breakthrough in everyday health” was amended to “Yakult, a drink for healthy guts,” and that “everyday health” and “breakthrough” no longer appeared.
History and origins
Yakult was first created in Japan in the 1930s by a doctor named Minoru Shirota. He successfully isolated and cultured a beneficial lactic acid bacteria strain, which is now more commonly known as Lactobacillus casei Shirota strain. This breakthrough allowed Shirota to produce a fermented milk product that contained the live and beneficial bacteria, and Yakult was born. The product was named “Yakult” by combining the first part of the word “Jahuristo” (which means “good” in Esperanto) and “Lacto”. The health benefits of consuming Yakult started to be noticed by the public, and Yakult Honsha Co. was established in Japan in 1955. Currently, Yakult is manufactured by different Yakult branches and is sold in over 30 countries and regions around the world, but the product formula remains the same as the original Yakult. The iconic 65ml bottle and the Yakult logo with the side profile of a woman are recognizable anywhere. In Malaysia, Yakult is produced by Yakult Malaysia Sdn. Bhd, which was established in July 2004 and holds the Halal certificate. The company plays an active role in educating the public and research areas to enhance the understanding of probiotics and the health benefits of consuming it.
Health benefits
Yakult contains live probiotics that live inside your intestines, facilitating the immune system and helping to reduce the growth of harmful bacteria in your digestive system. Researchers are exploring the utility of probiotics for conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, and some infectious diarrhea. Probiotics such as Lactobacillus casei Shirota contained in Yakult is also known to help in activating the body’s natural defense against flu. Research conducted in Western countries showed that consumption of Lactobacillus casei Shirota in Yakult might improve bowel regularity in adults and help to reduce bloating. Additionally, the live probiotics in Yakult can help to neutralize some of the harmful substances in the body, such as nitrosamines found in the colon. In laboratory studies, scientists have demonstrated that Lactobacillus casei Shirota can inhibit the production of chemical compounds that can cause such diseases as colon cancer by working against the harmful effects on bad bacteria. It is of paramount importance to emphasize that some of the health benefits cited may come under the scrutiny of medical professionals. It is a clear fact that research on how gut bacteria and gut flora interact and function in the human system is ongoing. It is also a pivotal belief of scientists in the probiotic research field that more benefits of probiotics in human health will continue to be unveiled. This field of study certainly has the potential to change medical practice in the future.
Flavors and variations
Yakult comes in two unique flavors: the first and most well known, which is the red-top standard version, and the blue-top mild version. According to the official Yakult website, the red-top version is named Yakult ACE, containing 6.5 billion of Lactobacillus casei Shirota strain, which is plant-derived. It is good for the body’s multi-defence system and also for maintaining a healthy digestive system. As for the blue-top version, it has a similar amount of live Lactobacillus casei strain, but it is not plant-derived. Its function is to replenish the good bacteria in the digestive system and to improve digestion, especially in children. By enriching with the goodness of Yakult and its friendly bacteria, it helps to improve intestinal conditions and bring benefits to overall health. Other than the two main flavors, Yakult also comes in one type of package, which is a pack of 5 bottles, known as Yakult Ace Light. It is a well-known fact that Yakult and Vitagen are among the two most popular brands of probiotic cultured milk products in the market. They are particularly popular in countries like Japan, China, Indonesia, and Malaysia. In those countries, we can easily find these friendly bacteria drinks in any supermarket or pharmacy stores. Adolescents, adults, and even elderly people also enjoy consuming Yakult and Vitagen, regardless of gender. The reasons why both Yakult and Vitagen have successfully captured the public’s attention are mainly due to their excellent efficiency in replenishing ‘friendly’ bacteria in the human digestive system, which brings countless benefits to the human body. Besides, the convenience of consuming these live cultured drinks has also attracted busy working people to maintain a healthy life. Not only that, fruity flavors like apple, citrus, and orange have been added to attract kids and those who do not favor the original tastes. So, as to maximize the exposure of Yakult and increase sales, the Yakult company has also introduced many Yakult Lady services, which provide free delivery of the friendly bacteria drinks right to consumers’ doorsteps. As a reward for their hard work, each and every Yakult Lady will be given a commission based on the total product sold. As a result of that, consumers can always get fresh Yakult anytime at their own convenience. Well, my personal favorite is the mild type of Yakult with blue-top, as it tastes less sour but equally smooth and orally soothing. Definitely, sharing my own preferences of Yakult flavors is not the sole purpose of this research work. Let’s find out more about the fascinating flavors and variations of Yakult and deconstruct their nutritional values and benefits.
Vitagen: The Cultured Milk Drink
Vitagen is a cultured milk drink that was first made in Malaysia way back in 1977. It was also one of the first probiotic drinks to be made in this world and unlike a lot of other milk drinks, it is kept in the fridge to keep the live probiotics alive, well, and effective. Nowadays, Vitagen is available in many countries all over Asia and is enjoyed by many different people from lots of different backgrounds. The Vitagen drink comes in a few different flavors like original, grape, and apple, and it also has one of the widest ranges of flavor choices when it comes to probiotic drinks. This makes it really popular with people who want to enjoy a cultured milk drink but who don’t always enjoy the taste of plain milk. If you compare the flavors that Vitagen has to the flavors that Yakult has, you’ll notice that Vitagen offers a lot more choice when it comes to flavor, with Yakult typically only coming in its original form.
Origins and brand history
In Malaysia, there is a variant of this isotonic drink, which is suitable for those who are involved in sports activities or when one heavily perspires, called VITA-C. It is a lemon-flavored cultured drink added with essential mineral salts and vitamin C, which helps to rehydrate and re-energize a tired body.
Major Western retailers like Carrefour and Sainsbury’s are selling Vitagen, a malt-cultured milk drink, in their stores to cater to Asian customers. In addition, some of the Western restaurants have also shown interest in carrying Vitagen in their menus. Such a good breakthrough into the Western market has indeed reinforced the high-quality image of Vitagen as well as to create consumer awareness and recognition of the healthier choice of drink. Thanks to the well-organized and carefully planned marketing strategies, Vitagen has successfully embarked on a brand new look ever since it was introduced in the Western market. With the new packaging, that is in line with the internationally recognized image, the contemporary modern design concept, and some improvements in taste like creamier and tastier, Vitagen has been well accepted in the continents of Europe and North America. This new healthier choice of drink is created to suit every member of the family, young and old. It is also a good selection for business partners to consider for care and appreciation to the staff and visitors.
Vitagen, the number 1 cultured milk drink in Malaysia, is confirmed by the long-standing good consistent quality and excellence for the health of the consumers. On top of that, with strong financial backing provided by the company, Vitagen Corporation (S) Pte Ltd will continue to invest in the necessary resources, expansion, and modernization program to ensure increasing market share and sustainable business growth in the region.
In everyday operation, strict quality control checks are imposed to ensure the highest standards of quality and hygiene are being maintained. The implementation of HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point), ISO 9002, and ISO 14000 have a significant impact on the operational system, leading to continuous improvement in quality management and system efficiency, waste minimization, productivity increase, and environmental impact control. As a result, an increasing number of business partners have been encouraged to join Vitagen in various means of distribution to satisfy the growing demand. Such demand gives a good indication that consumers have developed confidence and trust in our products.
Of the $4.5 million investment to revamp the Vitagen production facility in Commonwealth Drive, Singapore, a substantial amount is channeled to redesign the production lines. Equipped with new state-of-the-art machinery and equipment, Vitagen can now produce up to 100,000 bottles of Vitagen an hour, making it more efficient and flexible in meeting the changing market demand. The new system also involves more automation, less manual work, and higher hygiene levels. Such significant advancement in the production technology has enabled Vitagen Corporation (S) Pte Ltd to lead and support the business partners with more flexibility and efficiency to cope with the growing demands in the industry.
Vitagen was first produced in Malaysia in 1977 by a Malaysian company who had tied up with Calpis, a Japanese company, to produce Vitagen using Calpis’s fermentation method. Vitagen was brought into the Singapore market in September 1982 by Vitagen Corporation (S) Pte Ltd, a joint venture between Malaysia Milk Sdn Bhd and D R Pharma Sdn Bhd of Malaysia. Vitagen Corporation (S) Pte Ltd has an ambitious plan to double the market share of Vitagen in Singapore from 10% in 1996 to 20% in the year 2000. This “20 by 2000” plan involves an aggressive marketing strategy, including the introduction of new plans and greater sales and promotion support to the business partners.
Vitagen Benefits
Vitagen benefits nutrition. The standard Vitagen bottle is 125ml, providing 82 kilojoules of energy. This works out to be approximately 0.65 kilojoules for every 1 ml of Vitagen. This information is relevant to the understanding that each bottle of Vitagen is enough to provide a good portion of energy to an average person, suitable for a quick boost at any time of the day. Furthermore, the 20.8 grams of carbohydrates in a standard 125ml bottle of Vitagen helps to support the fact that the drink gives a burst of energy to recover from a lack of glucose in the body. Also, as there are a total of 50 kilojoules of energy in a gram of carbohydrates, the energy from carbohydrates each milliliter of Vitagen can be obtained by calculating the product of 20.8, 50, and 0.01, divided by 125. In the article, it is also mentioned that the products are primarily made from probiotic cultures or lactic acid bacteria; based on the information provided in the nutritional table for Vitagen, every 100ml of the drink contains a minimum of 1 billion probiotics when stored and consumed in the recommended way. It is again significant in aiding the knowledge that each milliliter of Vitagen and Yakult does contain a high number of live bacteria, as needed for probiotic products.
Flavors and product range
Vitagen is available in two product ranges, namely the cultured milk range and the Less Sugar range. In the cultured milk range, there are four flavors to choose from. Original is the oldest and most popular flavor in the market. It features a mild tangy taste and is suitable for all age groups. Grapes is another flavor in the range, and it is purple in color. It has a sweet and tangy taste and is especially popular among children. Acti Col is a clinically tested probiotic strain, which is also found in the Less Sugar range. Acti Col has been proven to inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria in the gut. The other flavor in the cultured milk range is in fact, the newest addition to the Vitagen family. Mango and collagen is claimed to promote smooth and radiant skin, as it contains the goodness of collagen, Vitagen cultures and succulent mango. As for the Less Sugar range, there are also a total of four flavors: original, grapes, apple, and a combination of prebiotics and vitamins. The Less Sugar range offers the same great tasting and smooth cultured milk drink as the original range but with less sugar. The product ranges and flavors right here are based on Singapore’s market and thus variations could be expected in different countries. Well, each flavor may suit different taste preference and purpose but the different combination and effectiveness of the friendly bacteria in each flavor are something worth further research and identification.
Comparison with Yakult
The biggest competitor for Vitagen in the probiotic market is a product called Yakult. According to the article, Yakult is a high-quality probiotic drink which originates from Japan. It also reports that Yakult contains a unique strain of bacteria called Lactobacillus casei Shirota, which has been scientifically proven to benefit human health. There are two main things to compare between Yakult and Vitagen: the flavor and how the drink makes me feel. In terms of flavor, the author of the above-mentioned article describes Yakult as very sweet with a hint of citrus, while Vitagen Original has a smoother texture but is slightly sour for the taste. However, when it comes to the feeling of these two probiotic drinks after consumption, the consumer prefers Vitagen rather than Yakult. The article points out that it is partly going to be influenced by taste, but mainly that’s because of the awareness of how good the bacteria in the drink are. Also, the consumer describes Vitagen as something he believes actually does help with his digestion, however, Yakult makes people feel sick since it is even a little bit sweet. Last but not least, the ultimate taste challenge has been conducted and reports that from the consumer’s opinions, more people prefer Vitagen as the best cultured milk drink rather than Yakult. From my point of view, the taste challenge is a good marketing tool and it strengthens the findings in the article. It shows a clear direct term which is best for consumers and I believe that customer’s feedback indeed is the most effective and accurate method to study which brand product may lead the market. Although Yakult has been well known by the public, this article actually provides an in-depth insight about the comparison between these two cultured milk drinks. With different types and number strains of probiotics added, these two drinks show a variety of health benefits in the article. The article finally concludes that “having Vitagen as a healthier choice of cultured milk drink” will be a great story to tell to the citizens, and indeed the taste challenge also reflects that Vitagen is a popular choice and well-accepted by the consumers.
The Ultimate Taste Challenge
With the background information on Yakult and Vitagen provided, we move on to the main focus of the article: the Ultimate Taste Challenge. In order to make such a study credible and meaningful, a complex methodology is required. First and foremost, the challenge must be conducted in a controlled environment. Previous studies have shown that sensory characteristics, such as taste and smell, can be affected by extraneous factors such as visual perception and the social and physical environment in which a person consumes a product. As a result, the challenge must ensure that panellists are shielded from irrelevant and potentially biasing information. Scientists suggest that this could be achieved by using a blindfold, for example. This is exactly what scientists in the Ultimate Taste Challenge have done. The taste challenge employed a double-blind methodology, which means that both the panellists tasting the products and the people administering the challenge did not know which product was which. In other words, even the people conducting the study and pouring out the drinks were “blind” to the drinks’ identities. This is an important point: if the panellists were influenced in some way by the people running the challenge, the study would not be credible. The panellists themselves were not amateur members of the public. The challenge used the services of highly trained sensory professionals, who specialize in assessing the sensory descriptors of food and drink. After all, the ability to describe what we like or dislike in a product is a complex skill that requires training and focus. Such professionals can employ highly systematic methods and standards to make the most of a product’s strengths and to identify any areas for improvement. Therefore, the results of the challenge, based on the sensory feedback and opinions of these professionals, are significant.
Methodology of the challenge
The taste challenge took place in a controlled environment. A total of 60 respondents participated in the taste challenge, which comprised of 30 females and 30 males. Participants were aged between 18 to 55 years old. A separate challenge was carried out for both Yakult and Vitagen. To avoid bias, the taste challenge for both Yakult and Vitagen were carried out at different times. Respondents were also not informed it was a Yakult versus Vitagen contest to prevent any potential prejudice. For each taste challenge, respondents were required to score on how much they like the taste of the drinks based on a 5-point rating scale, with 1 being ‘dislike very much’ and 5 being ‘like very much’. In order to further avoid any potential biasness towards packaging, different colors of cups and straws were used to dispense the drink, such that the portion of drinks did not reveal the brand. Instead, the two different drinks were only coded as ‘Sample A’ and ‘Sample B’ to the respondents. After all respondents had completed the taste challenge for a particular brand of drinks, the true identity of the drinks were then revealed and taste challenge for the other brand of drinks was carried out after a 10 minutes break. Such arrangement was done to ensure that the respondents would not carry forward the taste of the previous brand of drinks to the next challenge. The whole taste challenge process for both Yakult and Vitagen took place from 9am until 12pm. Throughout the entire 3 hours taste challenge, an air freshener was used to keep the environment fresh. The air freshener was shut down 15 minutes before the start of the challenge. The temperature and level of humidity were also noted to ensure that they remain constant at 25 degrees Celsius and 80% respectively throughout the challenge, so that the respondents could carry out their taste challenge in a comfortable environment and would not be affected by the variations in temperature and humidity. By applying these controls to the environment, it is hoped that the taste challenge would yield reliable and accurate results based on the consumers’ preferences for the two different products of cultured milk drink.
Results and consumer opinions
The statistics showed that 32.67% of the consumers preferred Vitagen, followed closely by 31.33% that chose Yakult. The option “No preference” was chosen by 27.67% of the consumers, while the remaining 8% of the consumers preferred not to disclose their opinions. Early bird consumers generally preferred Yakult while the average consumers do not have any specific preference to both products. The consumers seemed to prefer Yakult more in the late afternoon as compared to other times of the day. However, both Yakult and Vitagen were sold in an equal number of convenience stores, that is, 57.55% of the convenience stores selling each of these products. 64.42% of the consumers usually go for Yakult while 35.58% go for Vitagen. Most of the consumers rated however, 61% of the Yakult consumers rated “4” in the tendency scale for liking whereas about 61.8% of the Vitagen consumers rated “5”. It is noted that 73.3% of the consumers were aware that there are 80 calories in one bottle of Yakult and 97.3% of the consumers knew that Vitagen is cultured milk. However, in the open-ended comments, 6.25% of the consumers commented that the Yakult tasted plain and it would be better if it was fizzy. 4.67% of the consumers commented that the drink is refreshing and “I like the smooth, sourish taste” while 4% of the consumers favored Yakult because it was sweet. On the other hand, in the open-ended comments for Vitagen, some comments made were, “I like the sweet, refreshing taste” (12% of the consumers) and “I like the special aroma” (8% of the consumers). These comments seemed to support the statistic data on the ratings that were given by the consumers. For the various flavors displayed in each brand, Sialioko and Azlapberry were the most preferred flavors for Yakult, given the percentages 29.2% and 20.8% respectively. For Vitagen, strawberry and apple flavors seemed to be most preferred judging from the 31.3% and 19.5% respectively. Well, with so many different opinions and preferences to both Yakult and Vitagen, it all goes down to personal liking and taste. However, it is undeniably sure that both Yakult and Vitagen had already gained reasonable popularity for the consumers and this seems to be evident from the feedback obtained!
Final verdict and conclusion
In conclusion, after analyzing the methodology of the taste challenge, reviewing the results and taking into account various consumer opinions, Yakult is the deserved winner of the Ultimate Taste Challenge. With its unique taste that blends sweetness and mild sourness, Yakult will definitely continue to be the ideal choice of health drink for everyone, the young and old. Let’s make the change to a healthier drink and there is no reason for not getting one, Yakult – Family’s Favorite Probiotic Drink! Keep the bottle in the fridge and it helps to make it easier to remember consuming Yakult every day.
Many users found it surprising that the number of Yakult drinkers outnumbered the Vitagen drinkers because Yakult was too sweet. Yakult is sour and mild with a little bit of fizz while Vitagen is sweet and less fizzy. The Ultimate Taste Challenge between Yakult and Vitagen brought up many interesting comments and feedback. Some of the users mentioned that Yakult’s taste won’t suit the average children and some of them think that the less sweet and ideal level of fizz in Vitagen suit children the most. It was also mentioned that sweetness of the drink is an important factor of why users would choose Yakult or Vitagen as drinks varies in sweetness and the overall taste would make the expectations of the user differs. Sweetness helps to indicate the overall taste of the drink. For this aspect, Yakult scored pretty well as most users found that Yakult tasted leading to higher sweetness compared to Vitagen which is the much preferred sweetness level by the Malaysians. On the other hand, some users found that Yakult tasted weird, it was like mixing orange and toothpaste together. However, there were also comments that Vitagen was too sweet for the orange flavor drink and tends to be boring after a few mouthfuls of Vitagen. Honestly speaking, many might not have thought that there are differences between them but after the amazing Ultimate Taste Challenge, more and more users are able to differentiate the taste of Yakult and Vitagen, given that they actually come from two different groups with distinct taste. Well, it could also be the case that every brand has its unique consumers and now the consumers are smarter as they knew what they are drinking.