Bionade
Bionade is a soft drink of bionade GmbH from Ostheim vor der Rhön in Lower Franconia, belonging to the Radeberger group.
It is in the taste Elderberry, Lychee, cola, herbs, ginger - orange, active, and quince (only available in Germany ) with added calcium and magnesium in the trade. The brand is protected. Furthermore, there is a limited version called ' orchard '.
Production
Bionade is a lemonade that is produced by fermentation (fermentation ) of malt from predominantly controlled biologically - derived raw materials. The patented manufacturing process by one of the bacterial strains contained in Kombucha ( Gluconobacter oxydans ) is not fermented sugar alcohol such as beer brewing, but to gluconic acid. Similarly, only the beer malt raw materials and water are used. After storage and filtration, carbon dioxide, glucose, calcium and magnesium are added as an acid regulator, depending on the flavor natural fruit and herbal flavors. Gluconic acid acts as a preservative.
History
Bionade was invented in 1995 by master brewer Dieter Leipold. The families Leipold and Kowalsky were then owners of standing at this time before the bankruptcy Peter brewery in Ostheim / Rhön.
Leipold has transferred the patent and trademark rights to the Terragetik GmbH & Co. KG innovation, which is 80 % owned by his wife Sigrid Peter Leipold and his sons Stephen and Peter Kowalsky and two patent attorneys, each with 10%.
The Terragetik has the patent and trademark rights which are necessary for the production of the concentrate to the bionade Germany GmbH (owned 100 % family Leipold and Kowalsky ) transmitted. The concentrate is for the bionade Germany GmbH Peter Brewery (100 % family Leipold and Kowalsky ) were prepared.
The bionade Germany GmbH sold the concentrate to the bionade GmbH (owned 51% and 49 % Egon Schindel Stephan and Peter Kowalsky ). The trademark rights necessary for marketing gets the bionade GmbH from Terragetik directly.
The shares Egon Schindel or RhönSprudel were reverted to Leipold family in 2025. According to an article of food magazine, this proportion should be sold over the Oppenheim. Interest would, among others, Coca -Cola and the family Leipold expressed. A takeover bid by Coca -Cola rejected the company's management.
On 1 October 2009 it was announced that the Oetker Group subsidiary Radeberger Group will take over the 51 per cent share of Egon Schindel Holding GmbH in the distribution company for bionade for approximately € 20 million. By April 2010, the proportion of Oetker was increased to 70%.
From the concentrate, the final product is made and bottled at several locations. This is done directly from the brewery, Peter and by the company Rhon - bubble in Weyhers ( district Fulda) and Herborner Bärenbräu whose owner is also Egon Schindel. Meanwhile, it is mainly filled in the buildings to Rhön- bubble belonging to former shepherd source.
The success of bionade in Germany brought a myriad of similar and novel soft drinks from different manufacturers on the market. In July 2007, the Regional Court of Hamburg issued at the request of bionade GmbH an injunction against the retail chain Plus regarding the distribution of a similarly designed product. Since summer 2008, sold Coca -Cola, the new series lemonade Spirit of Georgia, Georgia short, which is considered as a competitor to bionade, although Coca -Cola itself denies this.
After declines in turnover and a dispute between the founding family with Radeberger about the future form of society, the founders sold in February 2012 to their remaining stake of 30% in Radeberger / Oetker.
Marketing and sales
After initially only health clinics and gyms were customers, in 1997 the Hamburg drinks wholesalers Göttsche bionade took on in its range. About this way they found their way into hamburger restaurants and pubs, and became the scene drink. As a reason for this success is that it was a non-alcoholic drink in a classic beer bottle at bionade. The increasing demand in Hamburg made sure that the North German drugstore chain Budnikowsky took the drink in their range. In addition bionade belonged now to the standard range of most health food stores and organic supermarkets in Germany. 2002 2 million bottles have been sold.
According to articles in business magazines as one brand or the manager magazin about the drink in 2003 and large supermarket chains took the bionade in their range.
Another paragraph thrust and an increase in the level of awareness was told the company the fact that the German train the drink October 1, 2006 in her control range for Catering ( dining car ) recorded as well as the inclusion in the range of the McDonald's operated shop-in- the- shop concept " McCafe " in 2007.
Since early 2005 bionade is in addition to 0.33 l returnable bottle of glass in the ( also subject to mortgage ) 0.5 liter non-returnable PET variant offered, primarily at gas stations, railway stations and airports.
Since Coca -Cola, the company could not take it sales from 2005 bionade products as merchandise through its subsidiary CCE. 2010 Radeberger took over distribution. At the end of 2007 bionade is present on the European market as well as in some countries outside Europe and the USA.
On 1 July 2008, the price of bionade was increased by 33% to a bottle price of 79 cents. The justification that we must settle for generic products - because " the original is now once again the most expensive product " - met with traders, consumers and the press criticism. The paragraph then went massively from 200 (2007) to 160 million bottles ( 2008) back. The increase is to be done under pressure from the majority shareholder, the Egon Schindel Holding GmbH.
In 2010, it was intended to lower the price due to sales problems again. The company supports youth training for the Olympics, and, by its own account, with many more projects in the fields of ecology, environment and health.
Assessment
Measurement results at Öko-Test
According to the manufacturer bionade contains about 4 % sugar. In a test of the Öko-Test magazine in January 2008, however, a significantly higher proportion of sugar was determined in different samples the flavor of ginger - orange. In addition, an increased nickel value was detected from the appointed laboratory. The bionade therefore only received the rating of " satisfactory".
The manufacturer described the measurement results as false and obtained a first interim relief before the Landgericht Hamburg, the Öko-Test prohibited the publication of results. This injunction was lifted in early March, however.
The bionade GmbH said in a statement on January 7, 2008, they could not confirm the increased nickel value, own measurements had shown significantly lower values. However, towards the publication of the nickel value, they did not request a preliminary injunction. Furthermore, the bionade GmbH said: " Our derived Ökotest for bionade Ginger-Orange sugar content of around 6 cubes of sugar per 0.33 liters is wrong, it results in evidence a false measurement or measurement method. The actual sugar content is only 4.7 cubes of sugar per 0.33 l ( = 43 g / l), as it corresponds to the declaration. "
However bionade may no longer claim the measurement or the measurement method is wrong. The company has issued a corresponding declaration of opposite Öko-Test. Therefore, the link is no longer accessible. Despite the votes declaration of failure, however, the press release was claiming almost a year in power. The cost bionade then a penalty in the amount of 6,000 €.
Öko-Test shared this in March: " On our opposition and after a hearing, the court has lifted the injunction now. In the course of discussion, it turns out that bionade apparently a consistent quality, at least in the examined by Öko-Test Flavour Ginger-Orange can not ensure. To vary the sugar content in the three studies presented by bionade itself by over 9%, incorporating the results of Öko-Test is the fluctuation even higher. In addition, the sugar content is in all three submitted by bionade results over the declared content. "
Calcium and magnesium content
In June 2008, the Regional Court Dusseldorf because the drink the minimum requirements decided at the request of "land value bio Premium GmbH", which offers a competing product with the lemonade Bios, in an injunction that bionade should not be advertised with the high calcium and magnesium content, the legislature can not reach far. The district court upheld the decision on 23 July 2008. Thereafter bionade may from 1 August 2008 to apply only the variety Active as calcium and magnesium- rich.
Bionade also went against the land value bio Premium GmbH ago before the Regional Court of Hamburg to make prohibit certain information to the drink as well as a comparison of the sugar content; which was only partially achieved.
Research by Food Watch
The organization Food Watch researched in November 2008 that bionade was not one hundred percent organic. Thus, there exists, for example, too little organic lychees, to make it into organic juice. For this purpose, said Peter Kowalsky: " Unfortunately, there was never enough organic lychees. " The company let prepare for a plantation in South Africa, could be expected in three years with their income. The EU organic label prescribes to the fact that so certified products must originate at least 95% from certified organic cultivation. This room used bionade in the past due to lack of availability of goods. Since 2009, however bionade sets claims to an exclusively agricultural raw materials that are 100 % certified organic.
Sales
During 2002 and 2003 was the sales of two million bottles over the years, he was in 2004 about 7 million 2005 20 million 2006 70 million already in 2007 and even 200 million bottles. In 2008, after a significant price increase (see above), only 160 million bottles sold. The following year, sales plummeted to 85 million bottles and decreased in 2010 to 60 million bottles. This paragraph could be stabilized in 2011. The explanation is for marketing professionals, in addition to the price increase implemented in a loss of reputation as a result of the takeover by the Radeberger group and in a consequent inconsistent marketing strategy.