Semtex (drink)

Last updated
Semtex
Type Energy drink
Manufacturer Kofola
Country of origin  Czech Republic
Introduced1995
ColorAmber
VariantsOriginal, Forte, Light
Website www.semtex-energy.eu

Semtex is a brand of energy drink manufactured in the Czech Republic by Pinelli since 1995, and was the first such drink to be produced in the country. [1] [2] The drink gained notoriety after taking its name from Semtex, a well-known plastic explosive, which is also of Czechoslovak origin. [3]

Contents

History

Semtex was introduced in 1995 by the Pinelli company, which had been formed in 1993 in the town of Čáslav, [4] and which also produced juices and fruit drinks. Over the following decade, Red Bull became the market leader in both the Czech Republic and neighbour Slovakia, with Semtex the second strongest seller, providing Pinelli with most of its sales. [2] [5] Semtex was also exported to Hungary, Austria, Germany and Russia. On 22 April 2011, Pinelli was taken over by the Kofola Group, the largest soft drinks producer in the Czech Republic. [4]

In 2005, Russia's consumer protection agency refused to extend Semtex's production licence due to fears that it could be harmful to consumers' health. New regulations were introduced in Russia limiting stimulants in energy drinks to two for non-alcoholic drinks, and Semtex contains several such additives. Furthermore, it was claimed that Semtex products did not display adequate warnings about excessive consumption. [6]

Name controversy

The drink is named after Semtex – a popular plastic explosive also invented and produced in the Czech Republic by Explosia a.s., a subsidiary of Synthesia. According to Pinelli's director Květoslav Srovnal, the name inspired "a feeling of activity and motion". [3] In late 1994, Pinelli applied for a trademark to gain exclusive use of the Semtex name for food and drinks, after which Synthesia applied for a universal trademark for the name with regard to all products – prior to this the company only owned the Semtex trademark for the explosives sector. [7] Synthesia subsequently sued Pinelli for copyright infringement, and a company spokesman claimed that it was "unfair competition", and that an important reason for Pinelli's success was due to the use of the Semtex name. [3] Pinelli had offered to donate a percentage of the drink's profits to a charity of Synthesia's choice, but Synthesia ultimately refused before filing the lawsuit. Srovnal dismissed the refusal of the offer as a "typical socialist management tactic". [7]

In 2002, the two companies decided to settle financially and Pinelli were issued with a licence to use the Semtex name on their drinks products. [8] After splitting from Synthesia, Explosia later threatened to sue Madonna for the use of the Semtex name in her film production company Semtex Girls, but later relented. [9]

Variants

Two basic versions of Semtex drink are available: original Semtex and the sugar-free Semtex Light with artificial sweeteners. [4] Other variants including Semtex Junior, a children's version which lacked stimulants, Semtex Hot (with chilli and ginger) and Semtex Ice (with mint) are no longer available. Until 2012, a stronger version called Semtex Forte was available before being replaced by the similar Semtex Crazy. Semtex Cool, which is green in colour, was also introduced at this time. [10]

Two sizes of original Semtex are produced – 250 ml and 500 ml. Semtex Light (like the discontinued Semtex Forte) is only available in 250 ml cans, which are 132 mm long and 52 mm in diameter.

Ingredients

Semtex contains the maximum allowed amounts of caffeine and taurine, while the Semtex Forte version contains a higher concentration of glucuronolactone. [11]

Key ingredients per 100 ml

SemtexSemtex Forte
Caffeine 32 mg32 mg
Taurine 400 mg400 mg
Glucuronolactone 240 mg
Inositol 20 mg
Vitamin C 20 mg
Folic acid 0.06 mg
Niacin 5.4 mg8 mg
Pantothenic acid 1.8 mg2 mg
Vitamin B2 0.5 mg
Vitamin B6 0.6 mg2 mg
Vitamin B12 0.002 mg
Colourants E 150,
E 104 		E 150

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coca-Cola</span> Carbonated soft drink

Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. In 2013, Coke products were sold in over 200 countries worldwide, with consumers drinking more than 1.8 billion company beverage servings each day. Coca-Cola ranked No. 87 in the 2018 Fortune 500 list of the largest United States corporations by total revenue. Based on Interbrand's "best global brand" study of 2020, Coca-Cola was the world's sixth most valuable brand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Irn-Bru</span> Scottish carbonated soft drink

Irn-Bru is a Scottish carbonated soft drink, often described as "Scotland's other national drink". Introduced in 1901, the drink is produced in Westfield, Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire, by A.G. Barr of Glasgow.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plastic explosive</span> Type of explosive material

Plastic explosive is a soft and hand-moldable solid form of explosive material. Within the field of explosives engineering, plastic explosives are also known as putty explosives or blastics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Semtex</span> General purpose plastic explosive

Semtex is a general-purpose plastic explosive containing RDX and PETN. It is used in commercial blasting, demolition, and in certain military applications.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pardubice</span> Statutory city in Czech Republic

Pardubice is a city in the Czech Republic. It has about 92,000 inhabitants. It is the capital city of the Pardubice Region and lies on the Elbe River. The historic centre is well preserved and is protected as an urban monument reservation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red Bull</span> Brand of energy drinks sold by Red Bull GmbH

Red Bull is a brand of energy drinks created and owned by the Austrian company Red Bull GmbH. With a market share of 43%, it is the most popular energy drink brand as of 2020, and the third most valuable soft drink brand behind Coca-Cola and Pepsi. Since its launch in 1987, more than 100 billion cans of Red Bull have been sold worldwide, including over 11.5 billion in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jolt Cola</span> Carbonated soft drink

Jolt Cola is a carbonated soft drink produced by The Jolt Company, Inc.. The cola drink was created in 1985 by C. J. Rapp as a highly caffeinated beverage. It was targeted towards students and young professionals, stressing its use as a stimulant in a similar manner as energy drinks. Its slogan reads "All the sugar and twice the caffeine!"

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Energy drink</span> Beverage containing stimulants

An energy drink is a type of drink containing stimulant compounds, usually caffeine, which is marketed as providing mental and physical stimulation. They may or may not be carbonated and may also contain sugar, other sweeteners, herbal extracts, taurine, and amino acids. They are a subset of the larger group of energy products, which includes bars and gels, and distinct from sports drinks, which are advertised to enhance sports performance. There are many brands and varieties in this drink category.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fanta</span> Brand of carbonated drinks

Fanta is an American-owned German brand of fruit-flavored carbonated soft drinks created by Coca-Cola Deutschland under the leadership of German businessman Max Keith. There are more than 200 flavors worldwide. Fanta originated in Germany as a Coca-Cola alternative in 1940 due to the American trade embargo of Nazi Germany, which affected the availability of Coca-Cola ingredients. Fanta soon dominated the German market with three million cases sold in 1943. The current formulation of Fanta, with orange flavour, was developed in Italy in 1955.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pilsner Urquell</span> Czech lager beer

Pilsner Urquell is a lager beer brewed by the Pilsner Urquell Brewery in Plzeň, Czech Republic. Pilsner Urquell was the world's first pale lager, and its popularity meant it was much copied, and named pils, pilsner or pilsener. It is hopped with Saaz hops, a noble hop variety which is a key element in its flavour profile, as is the use of soft water. It is available in 330 ml, 355 ml and 500 ml aluminium cans and green or brown bottles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kofola</span> Czech non-alcoholic beverage

Kofola is a carbonated soft drink produced by the eponymous Czech company, which is headquartered in Krnov, Czech Republic. It is the principal rival of Coca-Cola and Pepsi in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The company is one of the leading soft drink producers and distributors in Central and Eastern Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monster Energy</span> Energy drink

Monster Energy is an energy drink that was created by Hansen Natural Company in April 2002. As of 2022, Monster Energy had a 30.1% share of the American energy drink market, the second highest after Red Bull.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vault (drink)</span> Carbonated beverage

Vault was a sweetened energy drink and carbonated beverage that was released by The Coca-Cola Company in June 2005 and marketed until December 2011. It was touted as an artificially flavored hybrid energy soda. Coca-Cola was marketing Vault as a combination with the slogan "Drinks like a soda, kicks like an energy drink," as well as "The Taste. The Quench. The Kick." "Get it done, and then some," "Chug & Charge," and "Get to it!"

Omnipol is a company based in Prague, Czech Republic, specialising in the trading of defence and aerospace equipment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Krating Daeng</span> Energy drink

Krating Daeng is a non-carbonated energy drink created by Chaleo Yoovidhya. The drink is marketed and sold primarily in Southeast and East Asia; its derivative, Red Bull, is available worldwide in 165 countries.

<i>The Confessions Tour</i> (album) 2007 live album by Madonna

The Confessions Tour is the second live album by American singer and songwriter Madonna. It was released on January 26, 2007, by Warner Bros. Records. Directed by Jonas Åkerlund, the album chronicles Madonna's 2006 Confessions Tour and includes the full version of the television broadcast special The Confessions Tour: Live from London. It was recorded at Wembley Arena during the London dates of the tour, and was released in both CD and DVD format. The DVD contains the entire concert and the CD includes thirteen live songs only. The album became the first release from Semtex Films, a production company founded by Madonna in 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red Bull Simply Cola</span> Cola sold by Red Bull GmbH

Red Bull Simply Cola is a beverage from Red Bull GmbH, makers of the energy drink Red Bull. The cola, which contains natural flavouring and caffeine, was introduced in 2008 in several countries.

5-hour Energy is an American-made "energy shot" manufactured by Living Essentials LLC. The company was founded by CEO Manoj Bhargava and launched in 2004.

Stanislav Brebera was a Czech chemist. He was born in Přelouč and died in Pardubice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wong Lo Kat</span> Cantonese herbal tea

Wong Lo Kat, or Wanglaoji in Mandarin pinyin, is a Chinese herbal tea, and one of the most popular tisane drinks in China today. It is sold in many forms and different types of cans or cardboard containers.

References

  1. ↑ "Energydrinky Semtex a Erektus bude vyrábět Kofola". Eurotýden (Czech). 26 April 2011. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
  2. 1 2 "Kofola acquired Pinelli, producer of energy drinks Semtex and Erektus". Kofola Group. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
  3. 1 2 3 "What's Next In This Line, Scud Cola?". New York Times. 9 November 1995. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
  4. 1 2 3 "PINELLI, spol. s r.o." Bloomberg Businessweek. Archived from the original on June 5, 2013. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
  5. ↑ "Semtex and Kamikaze follow Red Bull charge". Just-drinks. 4 October 2005. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
  6. ↑ "Russia bans Czech energy drinks". foodnavigator. 11 March 2005. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
  7. 1 2 "Semtex: From high-profile explsove to high-energy drink". The Prague Post. 6 September 1995. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
  8. ↑ "Explosives firm weighs steps against Madonna over Semtex". Radio Praha. 3 February 2006. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
  9. ↑ "Madonna escapes Semtex lawsuit". Irish Examiner. 12 April 2006. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
  10. ↑ "Semtex explosive energy drink". Behance. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
  11. ↑ "Semtex Forte energy drink". needmorebeer.com. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.