Sports nutrition manufacturer Bio-Synergy is branching out into cola with a drink it claims has fat-burning properties.

Skinny Cola, which hits shelves this month under the brand’s ‘health rather than diet’ strapline, is being positioned as a ‘leaner, meaner competitor’ to Diet Coke. The drink contains L-Carnitine, which assists in the breakdown of fatty acids into energy, as well as zinc to boost metabolism.

The drink (rsp: £1.49), is targeted at women and comes in pink silhouette-adorned bottles containing just three calories per 500ml. The launch forms part of Bio-Synergy’s plans to more than double its £3m drinks business to £7m this year, including estimated £2m first-year sales for Skinny Cola.

“We see our cola as a direct rival to the market leader,” said Daniel Herman, company founder and CEO. “Many diet colas include nasty ingredients such as aspartame, whereas Skinny Cola uses natural sweeteners . We are confident many people will move over to Skinny Cola because of its great taste and fat-burning capacity.”

Sales would be boosted by the brand’s TV debut this week, said Herman. The £500,000 campaign is fronted by size 12 ex-Wonderbra model Katie Green, who quit Premier Model Management last year when told to lose two stone. Herman said Green was the “perfect fit” for the brand because of her “real woman physique”.

Bio-Synergy, which owns functional water brand Beauty From Within, is also in the process of developing IQ Water, a new “memory-enhancing water” set for launch later this year.

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