Food and beverage products with tea bases and botanical-infused flavours or aromas are seeing a surge in popularity amongst consumers in APAC, with more and more people seeking out ‘refreshing’ sensations.
Singapore-based Gryphon Tea Company has updated its cold-brewed tea range with “no added sugar” formulations, which the firm says has helped it keep up with the better-for-you trend and reach out to a bigger pool of health-conscious consumers.
Hindustan Unilever India (HUL) believes that strong market competition is on the way in the tea category from smaller players in the country, despite having successfully maintained profitability in the third quarter of the year.
India’s Beyond Water has launched its first ready-to-drink (RTD) iced tea in India, tapping on high-quality tea sourcing and consumers demand for healthier beverages.
Traditional China tea brands believe that bottled, ready-to-drink product formats are the industry’s gateway into international markets and appealing to younger consumers – but faces major hurdles in terms of pricing and competition.
Japanese brewery giant Kirin has announced the launches of two beverages – one alcoholic and one non-alcoholic – as it continues its efforts to tap novel ready-to-drink innovation opportunities.
Premium organic tea brand English Tea Shop has designated the Asia Pacific region as its next major target market after a decade of growth in Europe, citing growing consumer demands for premiumisation and products designed for gifting as strong drivers.
Singapore-based Curated Culture has big plans to enter the ‘sports and wellness’ space in the APAC region with its probiotic tea products, which the firm has stressed is ‘not kombucha’.
Tea-based beverages are emerging as a growing trend in APAC, but manufacturers need to integrate novelty and excitement into their beverage innovation in order to attract and maintain the attention of younger consumers.
Singapore eco-friendly coffee capsule brand NO HARM DONE says its newly introduced local-inspired coffee capsules, including Gula Melaka Kopi and Choco Kopi flavours, have been a hit with the domestic market, as it now seeks regional expansion.
Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has proposed changes to the scheduling of melatonin and green tea extract, with new dosage indications for the former and a completely new entry into the Poisons Standard for the latter.
The hot drinks sector in the Asia Pacific region has highlighted a rise in consumer demand for more premium, better-for-you products as well as a shift towards more sustainable options, both of which are driving new product innovation.
New Zealand’s only tea estate Zealong Tea is planning its entry strategy into the Asian market with premiumisation, health, traceability and its organic offerings as key components.
Coca-Cola Japan has developed a barley tea, green tea and coffee freeze-dried cube under the 1,2,CUBE brand to bring an innovative, convenient, and environmentally friendly solution to the instant beverage market.
Herbal iced teas specialist firm Namjai has revealed it is targeting the younger consumer demographic, banking on bright colours and a convenient, healthier product concept to draw attention to its teas.
Indian tea specialist Teamonk’s unusual decision to pivot completely to e-commerce sales and focus its product strategy on herb-infused green teas has boosted its growth and expansion throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, with no plans to revert to physical...
UAE-based loose tea leaf company BRW Society will retail in the Spinneys supermarket chain by the end of the year after being selected as one of 24 winners of its incubator programme.
Scientists have developed a novel active coating containing chitosan, tea and cinnamon extracts to improve the quality of fish fillets during refrigerated storage.
Japan’s domestic tea leaf consumption shows no sign of reversing its longstanding decline with ready-to-drink beverages and coffee continuing to gain popularity at its expense across the nation.
The world’s largest lemon myrtle grower and harvester Australian Native Products has set its sights on large tea brands in India and Sri Lanka as it seeks to market lemon myrtle across the region.
The COVID-19 pandemic outbreak has led to at least one positive outcome in the digital transformation of the tea industry according to two industry giants – the staging of Colombo’s tea auction online after 20 years of negotiations.
Chinese tea brand, Nayuki is betting on consumers’ increasing health awareness to drive the sales of its ‘healthier’ sugar-free and fruit tea series in China.
China’s recent signing of a landmark agreement with the European Union (EU) committing to the protection of 100 EU and 100 Chinese products protected under the Geographical Indication (GI) system will see maximum benefits for EU alcohol and Chinese teas.
Tea Board India has warned manufacturers and sellers of tea and related products that adulterating teas with any form of artificial colouring will see legal action being enforced, stating that there is ‘no provision’ of any sort for using colour in tea.
A little more than half of Australians drink at least one cup of coffee a week, just under half drink tea and a round eighth drink hot chocolate, according to new data.
There is growing evidence that certain plant-based nutrients in tea and mushroom may help to delay cognitive decline as we age, and may provide more promising focuses for further research after multiple products touted by the pharma sector ended in failure.
World-renowned tea giant Dilmah Tea has seen phenomenal growth and success since its humble beginnings as a small family business in Sri Lanka over three decades ago, but CEO Dilhan Fernando has told us in an exclusive interview that the firm will not...
A recent study has found coffee and tea to be the top source of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) for Taiwanese adolescents, in addition to higher health and nutritional risks.
Indian tea specialty company Teabox has launched the nation’s most expensive tea yet, priced at INR200,000 (US$2,890) per kilogram, with the company likening it to ‘champagne’.
The Tlabs chain of laboratories has recently obtained official accreditation by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), and has been tasked with monitoring tea quality in the country according to FSSAI parameters.
Bubble tea chain Chatime Malaysia has grand plans to emerge as the top operator globally by the end of 2019 – this despite a long and hefty court case with its previous master franchisor in the country.
The tea market in China appeared to have hit peak growth in 2017-2018, but analysts at Mintel say that using non-traditional complements like non-dairy milks could spell broader opportunities.
New Singaporean retail-tech startup teapasar aims to use unique new ‘tea-fingerprinting’ technology revolutionise the way the world buys and consumes their tea.
FrieslandCampina Kievit has opened an innovation kitchen in Manila, Philippines and revealed the findings of consumer study detailing the promising opportunities for the nation’s coffee, tea and chocolate beverage concepts.
India may be the world’s second-biggest tea producer, but it has perennially struggled to develop brand names with domestic and international appeal, but this may now be starting to change with the growth of several new-generation speciality tea start-ups.
Chinese electronics manufacturing firm Xiaomi, best known for its range of smartphones, is currently crowdfunding for a new range of tea drinks from the brand Pingze.
Global production of black tea is projected to rise annually by 2.2% over the next decade, while green tea is predicted to grow by 7.5% a year. But tea is highly sensitive to changes in growing conditions – and many tea-growing countries will be ‘heavily...
India’s food regulator has met with food companies and state inspectors to raise concerns over their response to consumer complaints mostly concerning packaging.
Tea consumption halves the risk of cognitive impairment for people 55 years old and above, and also dramatically reduces the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease among those at greater genetic risk.
Feature: From India to the world - a tea entrepreneur's journey
Teabox – an Indian premium tea e-commerce start-up – has made it its mission to deliver ‘the freshest cup of tea’ to consumers worldwide. From the technology behind the tea bags to the speediest shipping methods, the company says it can now get its products...
