Abstract: A drinking straw includes a generally elongate tube having a sidewall defining an internal bore, wherein one end of the straw is provided with a piercing projection formed from a portion of the sidewall and reinforced by a folded portion of the sidewall. The straw is manufactured from an elongate tube on which a piercing projection is formed at one end by folding a portion of the sidewall at that end to reinforce the projection.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a receptacle which comprises a generally elongate tubular body, a plurality of pellets of a predetermined size and shape containing a predetermined measure of active ingredient and filtration means disposed at or adjacent each end of the tubular body to retain the pellets substantially within the body. The receptacle is sized to allow a carrier liquid to be drawn through it. The passage of the carrier liquid through the receptacle causes the pellets to progressively dissolve, thereby releasing the active ingredient into the beverage upon consumption.