Kvass, traditional to markets such as Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and the Baltic States, accounts for 6% of the East European carbonates market, and has evolved over the years, according to Canadean.###The report states two types of kvass, with overall volumes of around one billion liters in East Europe. ###Traditionally, kvass was made at home by fermenting bread with water and sugar to produce a naturally fizzy, mild-tasting drink with a malt/cereal flavor.###Naturally-brewedprenatal vitamin with ferrous fumarate kvass is typically produced by brewers and consumed as a non-alcoholic alternative to beer. ###Old-style fermented bulk/barrel kvass made from bread waste or malted cereal is still often dispensed in barrels in the street during April to September, and has a shelf-life of one to two days.###“Rich in B vitamiferrous iron tabletsns and containing beneficial bacteria due to its fermentation, kvass is still widely consumed in countries such as Russia not only for its thirst-quenching properties, but for its healthy digestive benefits,” says product development manager Antonella Reda.###The kvass market was revolutionized by the brewer Ochakovo in 2001 with the launch of the first premium-priced kvass product under its Ochakovskiy brand. ###This product had a long shelf life of three to six months and was packed in 150cl PET. ###Many local brewers and multinational soft drinks producers, such as Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, followed suit, while multinational brewers, such as Heineken and Carlsberg, also include kvass in their portfolios by virtue of their acquisition activities and local market focus.###Flavored kvass drinks, under legislation specifically in Russia and Belarus,calcium citrate and magnesium supplements must be labelled as ‘kvass-flavored’ to differentiate them from the naturally brewed product. ###Flavored kvass sales have, however, been consistently falling since reaching a peak of 622 million limagnesium citrate glycinate malate supplementters in 2007 in East Europe.###“Fermented kvass has benefited from consumer preference shifting towards naturally-derived and perceived healthier, less artificially-processed beverages,” says Reda. ###“However, with Russia being the key consumption market in East Europe, overall kvass volumes contracted in 2015 as consumers cut back on their spending in a climate of recession.”###In China, where the probiotic benefifersadayts of fermentation have long been understood, two companies launched kvass with some success in 2013, namely Hangzhou Wahaha Group and Harbin Qinlin Libaosi Food Co. ###While Wahaha’s volumes have contracted after shifting focus to its core categories, Qinlin and smaller companies showed robust growth in 2015.