Award-winning ió fibrewater is the UK’s first prebiotic fibre-infused water that not only tastes great, it delivers 20% of the RDI of fibre and 100% of the RDI of prebiotics.

With gut health and fibre at the forefront of consumer trends, this exciting functional drink will be exhibiting at IFE, International Food and Drink Event in March as part of the Scotland Food and Drink Pavilion, Stand 3511A.

The Prebiotic Company Ltd (TPCL), an Edinburgh-based food tech company, launched the UK’s first prebiotic fibre-infused water, ió fibrewater in 2022.

In 2019 friends Mohsin, Aly, and Jay struggled with various health issues, such as poor sleep, weight, mood and digestive health issues, including IBS, and the inability to eat dairy, gluten and other foods. Their research all pointed to one root issue – gut health. And a solution – prebiotic chicory root fibre.

What are prebiotics?

Chances are you will have heard about probiotics – the healthy microbes in our gut or the live cultures found in food and drinks such as yogurt, kefir and kombucha.

Prebiotics are a special type of fibre scientifically proven to feed probiotics, helping them to flourish and grow, ultimately creating a healthier gut microbiome and supporting overall health and well-being.  Chicory root fibre (commonly called inulin) is the best researched source of prebiotics, and there are over 1000 research papers proving its wealth of health benefits.

The friends' journey of research and experiencing their own health improvements with chicory root fibre resulted in the innovative and award-winning - ió fibrewater.

'We were hooked on prebiotics! After our incredible experience with chicory root fibre, we thought, this is so good, we should bottle it. So, we did!’ Says Alyssa Reid, Co-Founder and Head of Partnerships and Business Development for ió fibrewater.

After two years of research and development and winning the Scottish Edge Wildcard award for innovation, in May of 2022, ió fibrewater was launched to the public in two flavours: Lemon & Lime and Strawberry.

ió fibrewater is perfectly clear with no ‘bits’ and meets the demand for growing consumer interest in fibre, gut health, naturally sourced ingredients, no added sugar and no ‘nasties’. 

This innovative water delivers 20% of the daily recommended fibre intake and 100% of the daily recommended prebiotics intake.

Coming in at just 17 kcals with zero fat or salt and just 0.8g of sugars ió fibrewater is non-HFSS and delivers on taste and health.

Why prebiotic fibre-infused water?

A jaw-dropping 90% of people in the UK are not achieving enough fibre in their diets. Furthermore, prebiotics take the health benefits of dietary fibre to the next level. Prebiotics are scientifically proven to promote heart health, improve immune function, as well as reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, obesity, and colorectal cancer.

‘Creating a product that supports gut health, and boosts people’s daily fibre intake in an easy, refreshingly delicious way was important to us. Not only does ió fibrewater taste great, but it is also supported by two UK and EU authorised health claims,’ says Mohsin Laginaf, Co-Founder and Operations Director for ió fibrewater.

Significant growth in functional and flavoured water categories

ió fibrewater also sits in the segments with the most significant growth in the water category. According to Euromonitor functional water grew by 79%, and flavoured water grew by 36% from 2017-2022. Compared with 13% for plain still water and 22% for plain sparkling water.

Furthermore, according to Kantar Changing Consumer Choices data, 71% of consumers are actively looking for products high in fibre, and 62% are looking for gut health products.

Creating a product that tastes great and has scientifically proven health benefits is the driving force behind ió fibrewater.

After 27 recipes and two years of research and development, ió fibrewater was launched in May 2022, with outstanding reviews and research supporting a wide range of health benefits people are experiencing with the water.

Finalists for the Scottish Knowledge Exchange Innovation of the Year Award (the winner will be announced March 24th, 2023) for a collaborative study with Glasgow Caledonian University regarding ió fibrewater’s health benefits, this unique water is making a splash in functional drinks by helping adults and children ‘fill the fibre gap’ and support their gut health and overall well-being with something that tastes great and is convenient.

The ió fibrewater team are excited to be exhibiting at this year’s IFE, under the Scotland Food and Drink Pavilion, stall 3511A. Information about this exciting new product and samples will be available throughout the duration of IFE.

For more information about ió fibrewater please visit www.iofibrewater.co.uk.