Matok V’Kal Ltd. believes it has created a new category for the on-the-go sports nutrition sector with its launch of Fit4style Energy Spray (see video). The quick-shot peppermint extract spray mist delivers an extra energy kick to consumers with active lifestyles and to fitness enthusiasts engaged in high-endurance sports. Fit4style energy spray can help maintain stamina for up to 75 minutes, without caffeine.
“There are no energy sprays in the market and no direct competition to our product,” states Noam Kaplan, Matok V’Kal’s CEO. He explains that the patent-pending packaging measures 10 x 5 x 3 cm and was developed in coordination with PlastART Medical. It includes a reusable, injection-molded plastic pump and container body/shell. Inside is a collapsible, replaceable aluminum foil pouch/sachet that holds the liquid. Consumers can see when the sachet has no content left, then subsequently purchase new sachets individually and place them in the container.
Plastic components are provided by overseas suppliers while the foil pouch comes from a company in Israel. Matok V’Kal assembles components via both manual and automated processes. The company helped design a custom filling machine for the spray container/sachet. However, it prefers not to divulge the name of the company building the equipment.
In another interesting twist, Kaplan notes a special feature “is that the liquid can be sprayed in any position—upside-down, horizontal, vertical—and can be sprayed while running and jumping. The spray dispenses the same amount in each press on the pump.”
Fit4style represents a departure for Israel-based Matok V’Kal, a food manufacturer since 1975 that produces sugar substitutes under the brand names Matok V’Kal and Sucra Diet.
The minimal calorie count means Fit4style Energy Spray won’t stress the digestive system during a workout. Each unit of Fit4style Energy Spray provides 1.3 g of carbohydrates and mint extract that coats the mouth. The company cites studies indicating that the presence in the mouth of certain carbohydrate compounds can help mimic ingestion of caloric energy, fooling the body into generating a short burst of extra energy.
Fit4style Energy Spray was created under the guidance of food-tech innovation experts at Practical Innovation Ltd.
“Fit4style Energy Spray offers a new solution for short-duration, high-endurance workouts and sports activities,” says Kaplan. “The innovation is backed by a growing body of research and recommendations by global sports groups that found that, in a workout of up to 75 minutes, there is no need to consume carbohydrates; it is sufficient to have their presence in the mouth. By tricking the mind into believing it is being nourished—relying on the sensation of food energy without actually providing it—the information is converted into actual energy.”
Multiple award winner
To date, Fit4style Energy Spray has earned the following honors:
• A World Packaging Organisation WorldStar Packaging Award 2019 in the Beverages category. WPO describes it as “a unique solution for spraying while in motion. …The extraordinary structure allows spraying during activity without having to stop, while always issuing the same amount of product, unlike a suction tube.”
• A First-Prize at the Manufacturer’s Assn. of Israel 2018 packaging contest for PlastART.
Kaplan notes, “The product currently sells in Israel, with a one-year shelf life.” Looking ahead, he says, “We are performing trials to check about lengthening shelf life. There is also the option of introducing the product in new fruity or sour flavors.”
He also points out that Matok V’Kal sells empty packaging—and licensing arrangements—to other companies to pack products that are not sports nutrition-related, such as medical cannabis, vitamins, spices and more.
