This is the VOA SpecialEnglish Development Report.
The Coca-Cola Company is developing a new healthy drink forpeople in developing countries. The new drink is called Vitango. Ittastes like orange drink. Vitango is a mix of fine particles thatbecomes a liquid when water is added. It contains twelve vitaminsand minerals that are lacking in the diets of people in developingcountries. It is designed to help prevent blood problems, blindnessand other common sicknesses in developing countries, especially inAfrica and South America.
Coca-Cola tested the drink bygiving it to students at two schools in Botswana last year. At theend of eight weeks, test results showed that levels of iron and zincin the students’ blood had increased.
The United Nations Children’s Fund says the most common vitaminslacking in the diets of people in developing countries are iodine,vitamin A, iron and zinc. The U-N estimates that about forty-threemillion people around the world suffer from brain damage andphysical problems because of a lack of iodine. More thanone-hundred-million children suffer from a lack of Vitamin A. Asevere lack of Vitamin A can lead to blindness.
Health experts estimate that about two-thousand-million peoplearound the world do not have enough iron in their blood. This lowerstheir resistance to sickness. It weakens a child’s ability to learnand decreases energy.
Many children in developing countries do not receive enough zincin their diets. They are likely to have growth problems andinfections. Lack of zinc also is widespread among women indeveloping countries and can cause problems during childbirth.
Vitango is still being developed. However, officials believe itwill be on the market by the end of this year. The Coca-Cola Companywill offer it first in at least one country in Africa and SouthAmerica. In time, the company hopes to sell it throughout the worldat as low a cost as possible.
Vitango would compete with a similar vitamin drink already on themarket called Nutristar. The Procter and Gamble Company beganselling Nutristar in Venezuela last October after several years ofresearch. Nutristar contains eight vitamins and five minerals. U-Nexperts say these drinks are an effective way to help meet thehealth needs of people in developing countries.
This VOA Special English Development Report was written by JillMoss.