Vitamin-rich water from Baxter

Medical products maker Baxter International is set to unveil a line
of vitamin-laced bottled waters in its first foray into the
consumer food and beverage market.

Medical products maker Baxter International is set to unveil a line of vitamin-laced bottled waters in its first foray into the consumer food and beverage market.

The water, called Pulse, will come in women's, men's and heart-health formulations in a variety of flavours.

The women's health formula, for example, contains soy isoflavones, calcium, magnesium, folic acid and vitamins D, B6 and B12.

Each 16.9-ounce bottle will contain about 40 calories, primarily from sucralose, a sugar substitute made from sugar cane.

The products are designed to provide supplemental nutrition in a convenient form, Baxter said.

Deerfield, Illinois-based Baxter is drawing on its background as a maker of intravenous nutritional solutions as well as experience in plastic packaging, said company spokeswoman Deborah Spak.

The company, which also makes blood-clotting compounds, renal therapy products and vaccines, will initially roll out the bottled water in grocery and drug stores in Chicago and Phoenix, Arizona.

"We're testing the waters,"​ said Spak.

The $2 billion market for non-carbonated bottled water is the fastest growing beverage category in the United States. It is dominated by PepsiCo's Aquafina, Perrier's Poland Spring and Coca-Cola's Dasani.

Brands of "fitness" water, which have added nutrients but fewer calories than sports drinks, on the market include Reebok Fitness Water and Gatorade's Propel Fitness Water.

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