A new product line — a blend of maltodextrin and fructose designed to maximize energy and performance — ideal for providing energy support during endurance sports, high-intensity activities, or prolonged exertion. Two flavors and a packaging format designed for on-the-go use: the story of how Yamamoto® brought the Sport line to market by entrusting Encanto with the development of Carbo Gel 2:1.
Not all product launches start from scratch. Sometimes the most interesting challenge is to understand how the market has come to demand things in a different form. This is the case with theYamamoto® Sport line, which hit the shelves thanks to a joint development project with Encanto Nutraceutica, which handled the formulation and packaging of Carbo Gel 2:1.
Who is Yamamoto?
Yamamoto S.p.A. is the Italian company that owns the Yamamoto® brand, a leading name in the Italian and international sports nutrition industry. It offers an extensive product catalog, a reputation recognized by athletes and enthusiasts of endurance sports, bodybuilding, and other endurance disciplines, and —a bove all — a constant focus on updating its product line to meet the evolving needs of those who train.
When Yamamoto® decided to launch its new Sport line, the goal was clear: to bring to market a formula and format consistent with the latest trends in the sports nutrition industry, with the brand’s identity at the center.
Carbo Gel 2:1: two sbsorption pathways, one goal
At the heart of the new launch is Carbo Gel 2:1, a ready-to-use energy gel designed for endurance athletes and for those who train or compete at high intensity for extended periods. The formula is based on a blend of maltodextrin and fructose in a 2:1 ratio and is available in Cola-Lime and Orange flavors.
The choice of this ratio is not arbitrary. Maltodextrin and fructose utilize two different intestinal transporters — maltodextrin follows the glucose pathway, while fructose follows the GLUT5 transporter — and this dual absorption pathway is a well-established principle in the scientific literature on sports nutrition: the combined use of multiple types of carbohydrates, compared to a single source, can promote more efficient intestinal absorption during prolonged exercise, with potential benefits for gastrointestinal tolerability as well, compared to high doses of a single sugar. This is a formulation principle that research in the field of endurance sports has built upon over the past fifteen years, and which today guides the development of many energy products designed for exertion lasting longer than an hour.
Carbo Gel 2:1 is designed to be taken before or during physical activity, particularly for workouts and competitions lasting longer than 60 minutes — the point at which the body’s carbohydrate reserves begin to deplete and external energy support becomes more important.
Doypack and Counter Display
Primary Packaging: Doypack with a non-dispersible opening, 60 ml
Carbo Gel 2:1 comes in a 60 ml Doypack with a non-dispersible opening: a design intended to prevent part of the package from detaching completely and being dispersed into the environment when opened — a detail that is by no means insignificant for a product designed to be consumed on the go, during sports activities.
Secondary Packaging: Counter Display containing 15 Carbo Gel 2:1 doypack
Rounding out the project is a counter display holding 15 60-ml Doypacks, designed for the retail channel to provide immediate product visibility at the point of sale.
Doypack and Counter Display
Primary Packaging: Doypack with a non-dispersible opening, 60 ml
Carbo Gel 2:1 comes in a 60 ml Doypack with a non-dispersible opening: a design intended to prevent part of the package from detaching completely and being dispersed into the environment when opened — a detail that is by no means insignificant for a product designed to be consumed on the go, during sports activities.
Secondary Packaging: Counter Display containing 15 Carbo Gel 2:1 doypack
Rounding out the project is a counter display holding 15 Doypack 60 ml, designed for the retail channel to provide immediate product visibility at the point of sale.
Not just production: the collaborative development of the formula
The project wasn’t limited to packaging.Yamamoto® approached Encanto Nutraceutica with its own proprietary formula, which was then developed and adapted through a collaboration between the two companies based on the latest trends in the sports nutrition market: a collaborative effort focused on the formula — even before the packaging — that made it possible to launch the Sport line with a product that meets current industry standards.
Why Encanto: Yamamoto® speaks
Why did you choose Encanto?
«We chose Encanto Nutraceutical because of their proven knowledge and experience in manufacturing the product format we were interested in. Added to this were their willingness to work with us, their collaborative spirit, and their proactive approach to developing a project together with us — factors that truly make a difference for us when choosing a manufacturing partner.» — Yamamoto.
How did the partnership with Encanto Nutraceutical come about?
«This collaboration stems from our search for a supplier specializing in the production of specific products that align with our development needs» says Yamamoto®. «Encanto Nutraceutical immediately stood out for its technical expertise in the format we were looking for, as well as for the open and collaborative attitude it demonstrated from the very beginning of the project.»
One project, two business objectives
Tell us a little about your company and the product manufactured at Encanto Nutraceutical.
“Yamamoto® is a leading Italian sports nutrition company,” the company explains. “The product we developed in collaboration with Encanto Nutraceutica has allowed us to expand our product lineup and the consumer base we target, opening up new growth opportunities for our brand.”
The Carbo Gel 2:1 case study clearly illustrates what it means for Encanto to work alongside an established brand: it’s not just about fulfilling a packaging specification, but about participating in the development — from the formula to the format — of a product that must hold its own in an increasingly demanding and segmented Sports Nutrition market, where the technical details of the packaging can make just as much of a difference as the formula itself.
If you’re working on relaunching or developing a product in the sports nutrition segment, let’s talk about it.
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