Kraft plans low-caffeine instant coffee

Kraft Foods is launching the first reduced-caffeine coffee, designed to appeal to consumers concerned about their caffeine intake. Kenco Balance will be launched next year.

Kraft hopes that Kenco Balance, which will sit alongside the existing Kenco range and be similarly priced, will bring consumers back to instant coffee. Industry insiders say that the instant coffee market has been hit by the popularity of coffee-shop chains such as Costa Coffee and Starbucks, and a shift towards premium ground coffees.

Kenco Balance is aimed at consumers who are concerned about the side-effects, such as headaches, of drinking too much coffee. According to Kraft, Balance will help consumers to reduce the side-effects without reducing the amount of coffee that they drink.

The insider says that Kraft plans to promote the coffee by focusing on its health benefits relative to other coffee brands. The product follows the announcement by Kraft earlier this year that it plans to address health issues in food, although that initiative is primarily focused on reducing fat and salt levels in food products and capping portion sizes.

Earlier this year, Kraft repositioned its Kenco Rappor brand as a coffee for younger consumers, and launched a campaign to focus on how instant coffee can help people to stay awake.