Thursday, March 29, 2012

Store Brands: 'Tremendous Growth Potential' for Antioxidant Products over Next Decade

 I love good news for my continued job stability...enjoy!  -Desiree Nelson

exclusive
Antioxidants are included in a diverse assortment of consumer packaged goods — from granola bars to detox skincare products. This reality reflects a megatrend in which the link between dietary supplements and actual diets is “becoming ever stronger,” notes “Antioxidant Products in the U.S.: Foods, Beverages, Supplements and Personal Care,” a new report from the Packaged Facts division of Rockville, Md.-based MarketResearch.com.
According to the report, American consumers don’t limit their perspective of nutritional supplements to foods and beverages — they also have come to regard health and beauty care products as extensions of the foods they eat and the nutritional supplements they take.
“What has emerged is a continuum of nutrient-positioned products extending from whole foods to fortified/functional foods and nutritional supplements, and to personal care products [and] cosmetics,” said David Sprinkle, publisher, Packaged Facts. (He added that antioxidant-containing pet foods and treats also “have their place at the table.”)
For this reason, Packaged Facts sees tremendous growth potential for antioxidant product marketers over the next 10 years, the report states. Several drivers are fueling this market, including consumers living longer than ever before, the uncertain state of the healthcare system and of environmental protection, and increased demands for vitality in a highly competitive job market.
Moreover, marketers and media of all stripes continue to educate consumers about the anti-aging and immunity-boosting qualities of antioxidants, making “antioxidants” a household word and helping to counteract barriers raised by the complexity of the antioxidant health message, the lack of content standards, and somewhat-stringent FDA guidance on nutrient content claims for antioxidant foods and beverages.
Currently, 29 percent of U.S. adults are seeking out high-antioxidant groceries, according to a Packaged Facts survey conducted between February and March. And 44 percent of women buy skincare or cosmetic products that promote their antioxidant content.
Retailers looking to attract these consumers to the store brand side should consider rolling out products that are widely known for having high levels of antioxidants, Sprinkle told Progressive Grocer’s Store Brands.
“I would look to products … such as berry juices and even the currently trendy green vegetable juices — perhaps cross-merchandised in the produce section,” he said. “In addition, given that whole-grain products have a comparable antioxidant content per gram to fruits and vegetables, I would look to store brand breads — including [ones] from the fresh bakery department — and cereals that can be marketed on the basis of both whole grain and antioxidant content.”
For more information, visit https://www.packagedfacts.com/Antioxidant-Products-Foods-6859388.
http://www.pgstorebrands.com/top-story-_tremendous_growth_potential__for_antioxidant_products_over_next_decade-1460.html?utm_source=PGSBStrategies&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=1859

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

CNBC Reports...Drop in Soda Sales Accelerates as Healthier Options Grow


Drop in Soda Sales Accelerates as Healthier Options Grow

BEVERAGE, COCA-COLA, PEPSICO, DR PEPPER SEVEN UP, DASANI, ENERGY DRINKS, CONSUMERS, COKE, PEPSI, GATORADE, DRINKS, SODA, CARBONATED SOFT DRINKS, BOTTLED WATER, TEAS, BEVERAGE DIGEST, BEVERAGE MARKETING, CHRISTINA CHEDDAR BERK, CNBC
Posted By: Christina Cheddar Berk | News Editor
CNBC.com
| 20 Mar 2012 | 01:01 PM ET
Soda sales have been declining for the past seven years, but the pace of the decline quickened in 2011 despite growth in the overall beverage market.
Americans continue to guzzle more bottled water, ready-to-drink tea and coffee, sports drinks and energy drinks, rather than sip on soda and fruit juices, according to beverage statistics released Tuesday.
The U.S. beverage market grew by 0.9 percent in 2011, according to preliminary data from Beverage Marketing, a research, consulting, and financial-services firm that tracks the beverage industry. Although this marked the second year of growth for the beverage industry, after two consecutive declines in 2008 and 2009, the pace of growth slowed from 2010.
Beverage Marketing said sales were hurt by higher prices, which made the drinks more difficult for struggling lower-income consumers to afford.
Beverage Digest, an industry newsletter that also issued industry sales data Tuesday, estimates carbonated soft drink prices were up about 3 percent last year, as companies passed on the higher cost of sweeteners, such as corn syrup and other raw materials, to consumers.
All of the big three beverage companies — Coca-Cola PepsiCo  , and Dr Pepper Snapple — sold lower volumes in the U.S., as sales of leading brands such as Coke, Diet Coke, Pepsi-Cola, and Mt. Dew fell, according to Beverage Digest.
Both Coke and Pepsi saw their market shares shrink, while Dr Pepper’s share was flat, the newsletter said. Sales of Dr Pepper’s flagship brand rose 0.5 percent last year, a good showing, but not nearly as good as Fanta, the ninth largest soda brand, which saw sales volume climb 3 percent. Fanta’s growth was enough to unseat Diet Dr Pepper from the top 10.
While Fanta’s growth was impressive, the fastest-growing beverage brand was Dasani, a bottled water sold by Coca-Cola. Dasani’s volume rose 11 percent, according to Beverage Digest. It was followed by Arizona iced tea, which grew 9.3 percent, and Pepsi’s Gatorade, which rose 8 percent.
To put this in perspective, carbonated soft drink sales grew about 3 percent annually in the U.S. for much of the ’90s. The category has been declining since 2005, however, as increasingly health-conscious consumers turn to other beverages perceived to be more healthful.
In the carbonated soft drink category, six of the top 10 brands lost volume, and only four grew. Overall, sales of carbonated soft drinks fell 1 percent in 2011, faster than the 0.5 percent decline in 2010,Beverage Digest said.
Beverage Digest includes fast-growing energy drinks within the category. Without energy drinks, sales of carbonated soft drinks would have fallen 1.5 percent.
Beverage Marketing estimates energy drink sales grew 14.4 percent by volume in 2011. This means it was the fastest-growing segment with the beverage industry. But it remains a relatively small share of the total beverage industry volume. In fact, only the read-to-drink coffee category is smaller, Beverage Marketing said.
Not surprisingly, no energy drink or ready-to-drink coffee brand ranks among the leading trademarks.
Sports drinks are another matter. Gatorade has been growing at a fast clip and topped the one-billion-gallon mark for the first time last year. Gatorade, coupled with G2 and other brand variations, is the fifth-largest beverage trademark, according to Beverage Marketing.
As for bottled water, its growth continues to accelerate. In 2008 and 2009, tough economic times led to a decline in bottled water sales, but the category recovered in 2010, and its growth rate accelerated in 2011. Bottled water sales volume was up 4.1 percent in 2011, faster than the 3.5 percent growth in 2010.
“The strong showing by high-end and functional products shows that consumers — at least the more affluent ones — are not concerned exclusively with economic consideration when making their beverage selections,” said Michael C. Bellas, chairman and CEO of Beverage Marketing.

Questions? Comments? Email us at consumernation@cnbc.com. Follow Christina Cheddar Berk on Twitter @ccheddarberk.

© 2012 CNBC.com

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Congratulations to QTrade and Winners of North American Tea Championship


North American Tea Champions Named

07 Mar 2012
By World Tea News

North American Tea Championship - Fall Teas 2011 - Judging
NATC 1st PLACE WINNERS

 Listed by company, tea and category

  • Alvin's of San Francisco (www.alvinsofsf.com), Royal Tea, Earl Grey 
  • Florapharm Tea-USA LP (www.florapharmteausa.com), Snow Flake, Flavored Black Tea
  • KIMICHA TEA (www.kimicha.com), Jin Jun Mei, Black Tea
  • Naivetea (www.naivetea.com), Strawberry Oolong, Flavored Oolong Tea 
  • Newby Teas of London (www.newbyteas.com), Rare Assam, Assam
  • Newby Teas of London (www.newbyteas.com)Rooibos Orange Pyramid Infuser, Flavored Rooibos Blends
  • QTrade Teas & Herbs (www.qtradeteas.com)Heirloom Oolong, Aged/Baked Oolong Tea
  • QTrade Teas & Herbs, Special Breakfast Blend, Breakfast Blend 
  • QTrade Teas & Herbs, Naked Oolong, Blended Oolong Tea
  • QTrade Teas & Herbs, Darjeeling Extra Special, Darjeeling 
  • Rare Tea Cellar Inc. (www.rareteacellar.com), 2010 Emperor's Aged Keemun, Keemun
  • Rishi Tea (www.rishi-tea.com), Eastern Beauty (Bai Hao Premium), BaiHao/Oriental Beauty 
  • Rishi Tea, Sakura Black, Blended Black Tea
  • Rishi Tea, Dong Pian, Green Oolong Tea 
  • Rishi Tea, Jasmine Yin Hao (Organic/Fair Trade), Jasmine
  • Rishi Tea, Jasmine Pearl Lot B (Organic), Jasmine
  • Rishi Tea, Ancient Golden Buds (Organic/Fair Trade), Yunnan 
  • Silk Road Teas (www.silkroadteas.com), Plum Fragrance, Dark Oolong Tea
  • Sipping Streams Tea Company (www.sippingstreams.com), Assam CTC, Black Tea-CTC 
  • Yogic Chai (www.yogicchai.com), Original Masala Chai, Chai 
A complete list of first, second and third place winners of the North American Tea Championship is available at www.teachampionship.com. Honorees will be featured at the North American Tea Championship Winners Tasting Circle at World Tea Expo (www.WorldTeaExpo.com), June 1 – 3, 2012 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
LAS VEGAS, Nev.
Twenty best-tasting tea champions enter the limelight today as winners of the North American Tea Championship which drew a record 230 entries for the fall judging.
Since 2008 the NATC, the only independent and professionally-judged tea competition in North America, has identified notable, high-quality teas widely available in the marketplace. The judging, held Feb. 28 – 29 in Las Vegas, evaluated premium hot teas from the fall 2011 harvest.
Rishi Tea won 14 awards including six first-place wins, two second-place wins and six third-place wins. QTrade Teas & Herbs followed with four first-place wins, one second place win and five third-place wins.
Other tea companies that took a prestigious first-place title include: Alvin's of San Francisco; Florapharm Tea-USA LP; KIMICHA TEA; Naivetea; Newby Teas of London; Rare Tea Cellar Inc.; Silk Road Teas; Sipping Streams Tea Company; and Yogic Chai.
North American Tea ChampionshipCompanies that entered the competition for the first time and received honors – either a first, second or third place award – include: Alvin’s; KIMICHA Tea; Newby Teas of London; Silk Road Teas; Black Tusk Trading; Tazo Teas; Hankook Tea; and Zuri Tea.
Fifty companies submitted a record 230 tea entries (the previous record for an evaluation was 217 different teas in 2010). The Flavored Rooibos Category had 35 entries – the largest number of entries in any one category, indicating the popularity of that tea in the marketplace.
“This year’s winners are outstanding,” said North American Tea Championship Judge Lydia Kung, a tea buyer and expert with Eastrise Trading Corp. “Congratulations to all of the award recipients."
Kung said that competitors offer an excellent range of teas to judge, "especially in the classifications of Oolong, Rooibos, Breakfast Blends, Jasmine and Assams. After the competition was completed, the judges compared notes, and we found that all of our scores were extremely close, which confirms the judging process works."

"It’s a testament to the carefulness and deliberateness of the NATC scoring procedure, and all of the winners can take pride in knowing that they’re of the highest quality. Indeed, the Championship and the champions set an excellent benchmark, and it encourages other teas in the North American marketplace to rise up to these high standards,” said Kung.
Winners Talk About the NATC
Bethan Thomas, marketing manager at Newby Teas, which won first-place in the Assam and Flavored Rooibos Blends categories, said, “The North American Tea Championship is very well known in the tea industry, and we were keen to participate this year for the first time, especially as we further expand our business from Europe, Asia and the Middle East into the North American Market. In fact, there’s no other comparable tea competition in any other region, so NATC is extremely valuable to the industry in terms of its high standards, engaging proper professionals to taste the teas and recognizing the very best teas.”
Thomas, whose company launched seven years ago, added, “Our teas have won in various food competitions, but the North American Tea Championship is the real deal in terms of evaluating quality tea. The NATC takes the right approach, and the judges have the correct skill-set and attitude. It sounds funny to say, but with other events, we’ve actually won too many awards, which lead us to believe that the judging in those challenges was not up to par. That’s not the case here. The judges are seasoned cuppers, and they represent the peak of the industry. On the whole, this win will help us in North America. We’re a family-owned business, so it’s not easy to break into a big market like this. We’ll use this win to open doors, build a presence and gain new business. We put a lot of effort into our products, using the right materials as well as packaging for freshness, so it’s nice to have all that hard work recognized.”
“For a small company like ours it’s very exciting to be able to participate and win at the NATC,” said Yogic Chai Co-founder Ricardo Dacosta, who started his business in 2008 and won first-place in the NATC Chai Category last year and at the recent 2012 competition. “We undoubtedly created a masterpiece chai blend, but we don’t have the necessary capital to generate a lot of exposure for the tea. Participating in a legit, high-profile industry event like this helps us tremendously. It gives us credibility, and it’s proof that all of our efforts – bringing the authentic flavors of Indian masala chai to the United States – have paid off. There is no other way to get this kind of professional recognition for quality tea – the North American Tea Championship is it. Certainly, any company can say they’re the best, but the only way to prove it is through the NATC. And now, we have validation that we’re the best when it comes to chai teas.”
Yogic Chai’s 2011 win generated numerous new business orders, including a deal with Foodzie.com, which delivers monthly tasting-boxes and exclusive small-batch products. “This year, we’re excited about the possibility of more new business because of our 2012 NATC award,” said Dacosta.
KIMICHA TEA’s owner Kimiko Uriu, who started her business in 2011, said, “It’s great to get a lot of positive feedback from customers about your tea, but being honored by industry experts brings it to a whole new level. A competition like the North American Tea Championship not only gives us recognition for winning first-place in the Black Tea Category for our Jin Jun Mei, but also acknowledges our ability to source the finest teas. We have invested a lot of time and resources into building close relationships with tea producers and selecting a range of teas that is rare, exciting and, at the same time, a great value for our customers. As a result, we have grown rapidly since our launch and have a strong customer base in Canada. We hope that this NATC win opens new doors. This was the only tea we entered into the competition and, given the results, we are excited to enter more of our teas next year.”
QTrade Marketing Coordinator Joshua Rigsby, whose company won in the categories of Aged/Baked Oolong Tea, Breakfast Blend, Blended Oolong Tea and Darjeeling, said, “We appreciate how the Championship recognizes and elevates quality teas in the marketplace, and we’re glad to have the opportunity to showcase our offerings in the competition. NATC raises the bar and creates heightened expectations for excellent teas in North America. The event features some of the finest leaves in the world, and the judging is spectacular. NATC judges categorically know how to recognize the best qualities in supreme teas.”

Rigsby, whose business has participated in the North American Tea Championship since its inception in 2008, continued, “Overall, the NATC and the awards help our business in terms of exposure. We don’t have a brand in the market because we’re an import company, so the Championship generates increased awareness of our experience and ability to source premium teas. We thank World Tea Media for organizing NATC, and we congratulate the other high-quality winners and companies that participated.”

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Holy SMOKES!

Renee - this one is for you!  This woman and article are right on...I hope it is safe!


Smokable Herbal Tea: For People Who Take Life Too Seriously (Video)

http://foodcurated.com/2012/02/vivid-visions-raganellas-smokable-herbal-tea/





“The ingredients, the elements of the products I make, have been in use for thousands of years. They’re safety tested by our ancestors…”
Meet Liz Neves, the founder of Raganella’s Botanical Solutions, an all-natural, ethical body care company that hand blends organic, sustainable, smokable tea and other herbal products in her kitchen in Brooklyn, New York. Liz sees herself as a “caretaker”. She left her 9-5 job in advertising to fulfill her calling to pursue something more ecological and healthy – starting her own body care company because she was fed up with synthetic, brand name products in the marketplace touting solutions to problems, but using ingredients that weren’t actually healthy for your body or the environment. As she dug deeper, she realized that “simple is good” that “the Earth is an abundant place; that it provides” and that healing plants were the solution to her problems and the answer to her own career riddle. So, Liz launched her company and started developing “solutions” for everyday issues in her life, and now, a year later, has over 30 handmade, plant-based products to help people heal in a more humane way; which, of course, brings me to her all-natural tea line and her #1 selling product: smokable tea.
Now, I’m sure many of you drink tea, occasionally, as a herbal remedy or a sleep aid, but have any of you ever smoked it? Probably not. It was a first for me too. Well, for you curious and interested folks reading this, here’s your chance:
Liz calls her smokable tea blend: Vivid Visions - a blend she learned about from herbalist Robin Rose Bennett. It’s her #1 selling product on Etsy, with many, many repeat customers. It’s legal, it’s under the radar, and, according to Liz, it’s perfect for anyone who takes life too seriously and needs a way to relax AND dream better. You don’t need a lot of it to feel the effects and benefits. And it works. I’ve been drinking it and smoking it over the past few weeks: it’s different, it’s interesting, smooth and it definitely chills me out in a way I feel immediately. There’s much more information in the video story. So enjoy! I hope you try it along with a handful of her other recommended solutions.
Thanks so much for watching food. curated.! Happy dreaming!!