Your prayers have finally been answered — Gatorade is healthy now. Well, there is a certified organic version now, which at least sounds healthy. After two years of research and testing, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved the brands’ Strawberry, Lemon, and Mixed Berry G organic flavored recipes which are already available in some Kroger supermarkets. In the coming weeks, the new line of Gatorade products will be popping up nationwide in all the same places you currently buy the drink, including the gas station where you buy your Skittles and Dove Bars.
According to a Gatorade representative, the organic versions of their product were in high demand by veteran Gatorade drinkers who want to rehydrate during and after workouts, not to just replace fluids after a long night of tequila shots and flip-cup contests. The rep said:
“We heard pretty loud through the locker rooms, through our work with nutritionists, that there is an interest and a desire among athletes to go organic. Somewhere around 10 to 12 percent of athletes are saying they’re interested in purchasing organic products.”
Bloomberg reports that in order for Gatorade to obtain the organic label they, “had to shed artificial ingredients and PepsiCo needed to refine its manufacturing.” Part of the new formula includes adding aspartame less than a year after Gatorade removed it, something that might irk a few customers. According to Adam Fleck, a beverage analyst at Morningstar, it will be a fine line in keeping with what the company currently offers, and switching over to a recipe that allows them to be certified organic.
“In as much as they can focus on the potential to change ingredients without changing the taste, that’s sort of a win-win…but you have to be very careful about alienating your current customers in a bid to attract lapsed customers or new customers.”
Not to worry, though, the new recipe won’t impact the current flavors Gatorade has to offer, it will just stack on top of all their current brands, including the zero-calorie G2 products.
