What Makes the Air Up Watter Bottle So Unique? + FTC Cracks Down on Food Industry Influencers

Air Up, a revolutionary water bottle company, emerged from a unique academic project and rapidly transformed the way we perceive and consume water. In this episode of the Xtalks Food Podcast, Sydney talks about the Munich-based startup, which began as a university project in 2016, combining neuroscience and design. It’s the first hydration system that flavors water solely through scent. This innovative approach leverages the fact that about 80 percent of what we perceive as flavor actually comes from our sense of smell. The Air Up bottle uses retronasal smelling to bring flavor to plain water. When users drink from the bottle, the ‘flavored’ air from the scent pods mixes with the water, creating a taste experience without actually flavoring the water itself. What sets the Air Up bottle apart from other water bottles is its blend of technology, sustainability and health consciousness. Although they read mixed reviews, the team praises Air Up for its innovative approach to hydration and are eager to try it out for themselves.

Also in this episode, Sydney talks about why food industry influencers were recently at the center of a controversy highlighted by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Last week, the FTC issued warning letters to two major groups in the food and beverage sector and several online food industry influencers for inadequate disclosure of paid social media posts that endorsed a sweetener and various sugary products. These influencers, affiliated with the American Beverage Association and the Canadian Sugar Institute, had made posts on Instagram and TikTok. The American Beverage Association, a powerful lobbying group with members like Coca-Cola Company and PepsiCo, and the Canadian Sugar Institute, representing Canadian sugar manufacturers, appeared to have hired these influencers. This crackdown aims to establish a new standard for transparency, particularly when the funding sources behind these campaigns are not explicitly stated. The team posits that there should only be one way to disclose ads on social media for complete transparency.