Tea Trouble: How Formulations Meet Packaging Needs, Not Consumers’
As reformed soda drinkers continue to look for healthier ways to get their caffeine fix, the world’s ready-to-drink (RTD) coffee and tea market is set to grow from $69 billion in 2011 to $125 billion in 2017––just under 11 percent annual growth according to an analysis by research firm MarketsandMarkets.[1] As a result, tea will become the second most consumed beverage in the world after water, and for good reasons. It is well established that tea is loaded with antioxidants and compounds that can boost endurance, help protect against cancers and heart disease, increase exercise stamina and more, notes Time magazine.[2]
With its general halo of health and the allure of abundant beneficial antioxidants, RTD tea is particularly well-positioned for continued growth in North America among consumers looking for better-for-you beverage choices, according to projections by market research firm IRI.[3] This may be particularly true in Canada, where Canadians drink almost 9.7 billion cups of tea every year. A report commissioned by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada valued the entire industry at C$423.8 million in 2012 and predicted that Canadian tea consumption would increase 40 percent by 2020—a trend that is likely to carry over to the RTD tea market.[4]