Tea Ingredients Publication Serves Robust Global Demand for Tea-Based Products

10/03/08 Tea-based ingredients are now utilized in thousands of consumer products worldwide, and Colorado-based Sage Group, a self-described 'tea think-tank' notes that non-beverage consumer products containing tea-based ingredients now outnumber beverage tea offerings on a global basis. Tea and "herbal tea" standardized extracts, essences and other tea derivatives are being formulated into thousands of consumer products including, skincare preparations, functional foods, dietary supplements and other products beyond the traditional role of tea as a common daily beverage.

To assist companies involved with all types of tea-based products, Sage Group has released Tea Ingredients Annual 2008. The publication provides relevant resources for the burgeoning tea ingredients industry with focused raw materials supply and analytical laboratory resources for researchers and product formulators.

The diverse and healthy attributes of tea have catapulted products featuring tea-based ingredients into the consumer product spotlight. "Real tea and tea-derivatives deliver not only powerful antioxidants, but a goldmine of antimicrobial, antiviral, nutritive and disease fighting constituents. Tea also puts forth a positive, non-controversial image that consumers feel comfortable embracing in any product type from beverages to skincare and far beyond," notes Sage spokesperson Autumn White. Sage notes there have been over three thousand science-based studies conducted on tea in the last decade, many resulted in positive outcomes, and a number have spawned novel intellectual property including patents and proprietary formulations.

In addition to listing dozens of hard-to-find sources of specialty tea ingredients, Tea Ingredients Annual 2008 showcases analytical laboratories that offer complex analysis of tea, tea products and their myriad constituents. "The science of utilizing tea within ready-to-drink beverages and all types of non-beverage products is at a germinal stage of development. Assuring stability, potency, purity and nutritive properties of tea when it's included in product formulations requires competent technical support and reliable raw materials if benefits are to be realized," according to White.

Products touting tea as an ingredient, yet not actually delivering quantifiable levels of antioxidants or other tea-based constituents, may be misleading consumer's specific to assumed expectations regarding health benefits associated with tea consumption. The use of miniscule or unstable tea ingredients within consumer products also deprives the global tea industry of vital sales revenue by leveraging tea's growing popularity, yet not incorporating scientifically demonstrable levels of authentic tea constituents within consumer products. "Some product manufacturers simply add absurdly diluted levels of tea to their products to take advantage of tea's booming popularity, yet without the nominal expense of including real tea or its myriad derivatives within a product recipe. The use of quality tea ingredients and competent analytical resources provide a powerful competitive edge for product developers," states White.

One market indicator of the increasing science-based approach to tea products development is a new Executive and Technical seminar series added to the annual World Tea Expo trade show held in Las Vegas each year (May 2008). "With the exploding popularity and inherent healthiness of tea, an unprecedented number of new consumer products are being launched with tea as an ingredient. Our new Executive & Technical Series addresses science-based approaches to the ideation, formulation, and even regulatory strategies of proprietary tea product development. Tea Ingredients Annual 2008 is yet another resource answering the evolving technical business needs of companies entering the tea industry and requiring scientific support and supply resources for their offerings," stated George Jage, president of the World Tea Expo.