Developing innovative alcohol-free drinks for new markets
Using organic and ethically sourced plant-distilled ingredients such as lemon, herbs, verbena and sea buckthorn extracts, West Yorkshire based SME, Bax Botanics produces high-quality alcohol-free, gin-like soft drinks that are traditionally distilled in beaten copper alembics for the purest flavour. Where possible they also use recycled and recyclable packaging as their bottle labels are printed on material that is a by-product from the sugar industry.
Achieving organic label certification
Chris Bax, Co-Founder of Bax Botanics explains; Myself and my partner Rose have spent decades learning about and experimenting with botanical flavours. Between us we have over 30 years’ experience of teaching and consulting to the food industry, focussing on delicious and exciting ways to use wild ingredients and culinary herbs. To keep our alcohol-free drinks innovative for new and existing customers we worked with the Biorenewables Development Centre on one project to investigate how we can achieve organic label certification of our drinks. This needed further investigation and led to two more pieces of work being carried out - all under the European Regional Development Funding programme.
Initially the BDC reviewed alternative methods and preservatives that will allow the company to maintain the shelf life of their soft drink products and be in scope for obtaining organic label certification. The review provided the company with a strategy to replace the current preservative and recommendations for further development of their products that would expand their market reach to the Middle East where organic UK-produced drinks are in demand. This analysis showed the plant derived extracts Bax Botanics uses in their formulations such as extracts from verbena plant or sea buckthorn are rich in bio-active compounds with antimicrobial properties.
Rosie Nolan, Senior Technologist at the BDC added; From our initial analysis we were able to investigate the current ingredients that Bax Botanics uses and compare this to the required industry standards. During the collaboration we were able to offer Bax Botanics recommendations on what steps are needed to take their products forward to achieve a clean drinks organic certification label.
High-quality alcohol-free, gin-like soft drinks
Traditionally distilled in beaten copper alembics
Labels printed on by-product material from the sugar industry
Notes to editor:
This project has received funding from the England European Regional Development Fund as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020.
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