Whole – New Water That Helps Bridge The Hunger Gap

Media Release
30 March 2009

Whole – A New Water That Helps Bridge The Hunger Gap
Exciting new functional water hits the New Zealand market

A breakthrough in the New Zealand bottled water market has hit the shelves with the launch of Whole – a delicious functional water fortified with protein and fibre to help bridge the hunger gap.

Whole, developed by Fonterra Brands, not only quenches thirst, it can help to keep consumers feeling fuller for longer thanks to the addition of 5gms of protein and 1.5gms of fibre per 500mL serving.

“This is a first for New Zealanders – to have a water with added nutritional benefits that can help you feel fuller for longer” says Kate Ormerod, a nutritionist at Fonterra Brands.

Independent research reveals 64 per cent of New Zealanders prefer to eat healthy snacks*. Whole, with only 30 calories and 2.5gms of sugar per 500ml serving, will appeal to those who find selecting healthy snacks a challenge.
“In a research survey conducted by Massey University, women who consumed Whole felt significantly less tempted to snack and ate significantly fewer snacks than on days without Whole,” says Kate.

“Women work hard to maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle – but we’re all familiar with that 3pm rumbling tummy that can see you reaching for biscuits or sweets” she says.

Professor Marlena Kruger from Massey University helped coordinate the survey which investigated if consuming Whole, as part of your typical diet, had an effect on satiety, hunger and snack craving.

“Women consumed a third fewer snacks on the days with the product compared to those without,” said Professor Kruger.

Whole has three times the protein and almost as much fibre as a banana, but a quarter of the calories at only 30 calories and 2.5g sugar (1/2 teaspoon) per 500ml serve.

Available in three delicious flavours, Berry, Lemon Lime and Tangerine, Whole is available at all good supermarkets, dairies, cafes and service stations. A 500ml bottle of Whole has a recommended retail price of $2.99 in supermarkets.

To find out more, visit www.wholewater.co.nz

ENDS
* Roy Morgan April 2007 – March 2008

WH2OLE RESEARCH – KEY FINDINGS
• After consuming the test beverage, Whole, subjects felt “significantly less hungry and more full than on days without the test beverage”
• Subjects felt “significantly less tempted to snack and ate significantly fewer snacks” after consuming the test beverage
• The number of women reporting consuming no snacks increased five-fold when consuming Whole compared to a typical week
• Twenty six per cent of women were not at all tempted to snack after the consuming Whole versus ten per cent in the control group
• More than 50 per cent of women were not at all hungry after drinking the beverage compared to 13 per cent when following their normal diets

ABOUT THE STUDY
The study was conducted in Palmerston North by the Fonterra Research Centre in conjunction with Massey University’s Institute of Food, Nutrition and Human Health.

It was conducted using 39 females 25-45 years of age. Participants were asked to track their usual eating habits and answer questions of their feelings of fullness for a week.

The week following they were given the sample product – Whole. Participants were not able to eat after 11pm at night and were asked to eat their normal breakfast. They were allowed to drink water, tea, coffee, juice or milk with breakfast or on arrival at work. Then no other beverages were allowed until 10am when they had an hour to consume the beverage. Participants were asked to fill out the satiety questionnaire before and after they consumer the beverage. The results were averaged across the three treatment days.

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