Kraft Heinz, Gerber and Once Upon a Farm Are Racing Into Kids’ Hydration, Without Artificial Dyes
Capri Sun Hydrate, Kool-Aid Hydration, Gerberlyte and Once Upon a Farm's Electrolyte Blends all skip artificial colors. Kool-Aid's sticks are colored with vegetable juice and spirulina.
Electrolyte drinks are coming for the lunchbox. Kraft Heinz, Gerber and Once Upon a Farm have all launched hydration products for kids this year, and every one of them skips artificial colors.
TLDR
- Kraft Heinz launched Capri Sun Hydrate pouches and Kool-Aid Hydration powder sticks.
- Kool-Aid Hydration is colored with vegetable juice and spirulina extract instead of synthetic dyes.
- Gerber launched Gerberlyte, an organic rehydration drink for toddlers and young children.
- Once Upon a Farm added Electrolyte Blends pouches made with coconut water and sea salt.
The Launches
- Capri Sun Hydrate (Kraft Heinz): 6-ounce silver pouches in Fruit Punch, Tropical Punch and Lemon & Lime, with an electrolyte blend and vitamin E. Each has 5 grams of sugar, which the company says is 50% less than leading sports drinks, and no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives.
- Kool-Aid Hydration (Kraft Heinz): single-serve powder sticks with no sugar, an electrolyte blend of sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium, and no artificial dyes. The color comes from vegetable juice and spirulina extract.
- Gerberlyte (Gerber): an organic oral rehydration solution with electrolytes, zinc and coconut water, made without artificial dyes or sweeteners. A 4-ounce bottle has 2 grams of total sugar.
- Electrolyte Blends (Once Upon a Farm): 4-ounce organic fruit and vegetable pouches made with coconut water and sea salt, with no added sugar and no artificial colors or flavors.
The launches were reported by FoodNavigator.
The Market
Zero-sugar flavored waters made up 18% of U.S. kids’ multipack unit sales in 2024, ahead of juice boxes at 16%, and electrolyte waters grew 15% in units that year, according to Astute Analytica. Hydration is still small next to juice and milk, but it is growing.
A Note of Caution
Healthy Eating Research’s consensus statement on children’s drinks says water can meet hydration needs for kids ages 5 to 18, advises against sugar-sweetened drinks, non-sugar sweeteners and caffeine, and says electrolyte drinks may be unnecessary for healthy children.
Why It Matters
Kids’ drinks have long been one of the most dye-heavy categories in the store. That a brand like Kool-Aid now colors a new line with vegetable juice and spirulina shows how fast natural colors have become the default for anything aimed at children. Kraft Heinz has committed to removing artificial colors from its U.S. products, and new launches are where that commitment shows up first.
Source: FoodNavigator. Read the report.