Ingredient Hub and consulting

Ingredient Hub:  Desiree Nelson - Your Trusted Sourcing Partner:
My passion for tea, herbs, spices,  and the marketing and supplying of them has lead me to some more than interesting opportunities this year. I will announce them as soon as it is okay to.
I have managed to partner with some of the most respected tea and ingredients suppliers, as well as packaging companies in the U.S. and abroad.   I imagine this could only grow and get better.

What does this mean for your business?  
Relationships and integrity,  with your "tailored to suit" needs in mind ~ in ingredients AND packaging.  Small to large scalability- sourcing is about what YOU and your TIME.  I hope to save you that.  Send me your inquiries and let me work to solve your need > be it time, money, logistics, certifications,

Purpose:  INGREDIENT HUB: Matching my network of best partners in the tea/herb industry to match best tea business with client: per project or brand as a whole.  Collaborating domestically and globally. Using my knowledge and partnerships to best serve the client.

About Me :  Industry expert since 2002. You have a brand, need, or tea product or concept and I have the industry solutions.  I facilitate your brand (or generic / spot item)  to partner with the best fit for your concept in the industry. From competitive bidding on single origin ingredients as a spot purchase or contract, to R&D of a new line in bulk or bottled RTD, iced tea formulation to packaging, blending in smaller 50 lb quantities to 500 lbs plus... I will match you with the best supplier for all of your needs.    From pricing, logistics, to quality – there is a best fit for you, or a possibly a few.  Competitive bidding on pallet to container quantities – just shoot me an email.

Intimate knowledge of industry’s best: Iced teas, single origin sourcing of loose teas or tea bag cut, herbs, formulation, R&D, Single Serve cup formulation and packaging, ingredient sourcing, innovative packing in tins, packaging of tea bags ALL TYPES and sizes, pyramid bags, iced tea cello and filter bags, blending of teas, RTD bases and components.  STI Certified highest Level: Industry Specialist since 2002.  Partnering with the best in the Industry to bring you best products and pricing in ALL things tea and herbs.

Specializing in all things tea: bulk & container purchasing and management, R&D of new blends all types, packing of food service iced teas, all the way to development of single serve blends. By the case, pallet, container. Custom Formulation and R&D.        I can help you find partners and suppliers that have their finger on their pulse on the industry and excellent garden supplier relationships. Matching needs in best practices and QC Compliance, Kosher, Organic, Fair Trade, ISO 9001, HACCP, GMP, and SQF.

One Stop contact / Time  and Money saving:  Starting with the most important needs and backing in to the solve, I can help build sales for my partners as well as solve the needs of the client, be it short or long term > by contacting me as one source vs. several – thereby saving them time.  These needs may be: timing, logistics, spot fill, new project, competitive bidding, etc.  My partnerships are direct and pricing is same as direct. For the cases of rare, obscure or short ingredients that are outside my 10+ vendors, I will search and find for you outside my group for an upcharge to my find (brokering for you).

In conclusion:  Sending one email or call to me is the ultimate goal I would want my client to feel they need to do in order to find, solve, or collect on to solve their tea and herb needs of/by the industry’s best.  I will do the timely finding of all options for them.

Desiree Nelson

teaconsultantd@gmail.com              /           http://desntea.blogspot.com/

949.374.7552

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

URL: http://www.cnbc.com/id/46796332/

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© 2012 CNBC.com

Fairtrade sales increase by 12% - UK News - News from @walesonline

Is the UK setting the trend for the U.S. to follow in terms of support for Fair Trade and such developments?

I would love to hear what you think...

Fairtrade sales increase by 12% - UK News - News from @walesonline

Consumer Survey Shows Tea Consumption Rising

Consumer Survey Shows Tea Consumption Rising

22 Aug 2011
By Dan Bolton, World Tea News Editor

CHICAGO, Ill.

A national survey released this week found 10% of U.S. consumers are purchasing more iced tea by the cup or glass than they did two years ago. Hot tea was the choice of 28% of customers and 34% report drinking dispensed iced tea. When it comes to flavors, 73% of consumers chose antioxidant-rich green tea because of its healthful benefits, making it the most appealing flavor for hot or iced tea.

“We asked consumers about whether they had “hot or cold specialty tea” in the past month, at home or away from home,” says Mary Chapman, Director of Product Innovation with Technomic, a market research firm specializing in away-from-home. “Consumption rates were low, at 9%, but they skewed much higher for those 18-34 (17%) and Asian consumers (20%),” adds Chapman. She said about 2% of consumers said they were drinking specialty tea such as chai and tea lattes at restaurants or foodservice locations more often than they were two years ago.

Sixty percent of respondents reported drinking drip coffee, both regular and decaf, or black tea within the last month, according to the Technomic Consumer Trend Report.

The Chicago-based market research firm’s MenuMonitor shows prices continue to rise. A cup of tea averaged $2.57 this year up from $2.40 in 2008. Drip coffee averages $2.36 per cup, up from $2.25 in 2008.

Most consumers prefer regular drip coffee and simple cup of black tea over the onslaught of non-fat lattes, cappuccinos and other espresso-based drinks, according to the report.

Technomic Vice President Joe Pawlak says understanding consumer motivations during various dayparts can help improve sales for operators and suppliers. “Consumers who regularly purchase coffee on their way to work are motivated by the convenience of the location,” Pawlak says, “but significantly, they are actually more motivated by the quality of the coffee, making them important loyal customers who return often, integrating the same locations into their normal routines.”

Quoting from the 2011 Market Intelligence Report: Coffee and Tea, Pawlak cited:

- Green tea, healthful and antioxidant-rich, is of interest to nearly three out of four consumers (73 percent), making it the most appealing flavor for hot or iced tea. In recent years, the number of green tea products has increased significantly on chain menus, according to MenuMonitor data. Lemon and honey are also appealing tea flavors for a sizeable percentage of consumers (61 percent and 60 percent, respectively).

- In the second half of 2010, 6.4% of tea drinks on the menus of the top national and emerging chains and leading independent operators were described as being green tea, says Chapman. “In the second half of 2009, that figure was 5.2%. Same period in 08, it was 4.9%. So while it’s not taking the world by storm, green tea is showing some nice growth.”

- Overall, grocery, drug and mass-merchandise stores have experienced a 15.9 percent increase in coffee sales from 2007-10. Sales of packaged tea were $764 million in 2010 with about 92% of that at food stores. Unilever products comprised more than a quarter of that $764 million, says Chapman.

- Although each type of retailer saw a gain, mass merchandisers achieved the biggest increase (53.1 percent) to coffee sales of $318 million in 2010 from $208 million in 2007. While price increases played some role (see below), the rise is also due to mass merchandisers such as Target expanding their food and beverage offerings, increasing pressure on traditional food stores.

- With the exception of frozen/blended coffee drinks, all other types of coffee and tea drinks have steadily increased in price since 2008.

Technomic, a Chicago-based consultancy focused on away-from-home eating and drinking. To learn more about beverage trends in foodservice or on other issues visit www.technomic.com.

Interesting 2011 Teas, Limited Supply

We at QTrade Teas and Herbs are very well known for the large volumes of tea and herbs we supply, as well custom formulation of your signature blends and suppling those blends. But now is time to talk about those in limited supply..so here is what is coming in all very limited quantity, first come first served, and will sell out quickly:

http://www.qtradeteas.com/ (conventional) in this week
2nd flush (WTE previous lot award winner with this before)
1st flush
Guranse (manufactured last week) in at end of July ~ $30 /lb
Seasonal Ceylon Supreme Pekoe $8 /lb (in now)
New Vithanakande (you liked this - will send you samples again)
What about our organic award winning black and green iced teas, ask about these 2010 Expo Award winners.
Booking now for Cardamom and Organic cardamom purchasing!

First come, first served so reply via email today to desiree@qtradeteas.com for pricing and information. Check out our new website
http://www.qtradeteas.com/ .

Linked In: Tea Industry Careers & Trends

"Tea Industry Careers & Trends" is a new group as of March of 2011, we have grown to almost 150 members in a short time. Many international companies and associates. I would love to see you join if you are in the industry. I am especially wanting to know what trends and interests there are abroad. This is also a great place to catch the latest jobs available in the industry, or post openings.

Join now!

http://www.linkedin.com/groups?mostPopular=&gid=3806199

Cheers!

Convincing Coffee Brands to Create Own Tea Label

This article helps weigh out your decision....although if you research the Tea & Coffee Journal's net history - this is only the most recent as they have always helped in addressing "branding" and "private label". Check out this most recent article:

http://catalog.proemags.com/publication/066b80e8#/066b80e8/22

Here is another favorite...http://www.teaandcoffee.net/0109/tea.htm

Microbrewery Beer and Tea

Image provided by The Science of Beer, http://newvoicesforresearch.blogspot.com/2011/01/science-of-beer.html#comment-form

I know that Yardhouse here in Southern California does an excellent job in food, spirits, beer of course, and well - they even serve a decent flavored loose tea of all places. Restaurateurs should know they are one to follow.

But one little topic keeps coming up in my full-frontal-tea-nerdy association circles. And that is Microbrew Beer.
Now my job gets more interesting because microbrewery beers are everywhere and at shows I am at. And these guys are cool in a whole different elemental way, you know? When I am around them, I get the entrepreneurial itch to open an organic sausage stand and serve micro brews in true granola-like fashion, best I could conjure of course.

Sooooo....my question of the day is, being that my associates are selling hibiscus, rosehips, and chamomile to microbreweries, what kind of beer is that? I can't wait to find out! Hibiscus beer brewer? Here I come to hunt you down and find you in your mad lab of herbal concoctions! Although my favorite may well always be Mateveza ( Yerba Mate and beer ) - this light weight will enjoy taking her time scoping the scene and sampling a bit here and there along the way.

Interesting beer reads: http://www.craftbeer.com/pages/news-and-events/american-craft-beer-week

Demeter USA About Biodynamic Agriculture

There are less than a half of a dozen Biodynamic Tea Estates, so far. We at QTrade proudly represent three of them and often exclusively. Email me for a list of current teas.


Biodynamic® farming is free of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers in the same manner as certified organic farming. In order to qualify for Demeter Biodynamic® status a farm must first meet the same 3-year transition requirement that NOP certified organic farming requires.

What distinguishes a Demeter certified Biodynamic® farm from a certified organic farm is that, in its entirety, a Demeter Biodynamic farm is managed as a living organism. This is the fundamental principal of the Biodynamic farming method. The special body of knowledge, which underlies Biodynamic agriculture, is derived from Rudolf Steiner’s “Agricultural Course”, and the spiritual context of Anthroposophy, within which this Course was originally held.

The Biodynamic method dates back to 1924 and is one of the original approaches to organized organic farming worldwide. In day-to-day practice Biodynamic farming involves managing a farm within the context of the principles of a living organism. A concise model of a living organism ideal would be a wilderness forest. In such a system there is a high degree of self-sufficiency in all of the realms of biological survival. Fertility and feed arise out of the recycling of the organic material the system generates. Avoidance of pest species is based on biological vigor and its intrinsic biological and genetic diversity. Water is efficiently cycled through the system.

While agriculture immediately takes nature to a state that is one step removed from wilderness, the practices of farmers that steer agriculture’s course can to a large degree mimic these ancient principles of sustainability based on a careful observation of nature as a whole. Demeter/Aurora certification requires a documented evolution towards this ideal. In the realm of day-to-day practice this requires a holistic farming system that is minimally dependant on imported inputs for its survival, but instead arise from within the living dynamics of the farm itself. Demeter/Aurora certification requires that as much as possible a farm be regenerative rather than degenerative. Consider carefully materials that are imported onto the modern day organic farm. Where do they come from? Often they can be tracked back to a natural resource provided by the earth. Examples of such inputs include petroleum to move materials around, ancient mineral deposits, by-products of unsustainable agriculture-related industry, and the life of the seas and water ways. An important environmental value of Biodynamic farming is that it does not depend on the mining of the earth’s natural resource base. Instead it emphasizes contributing to it. As such, it is a farming philosophy that results in one of the lightest carbon footprints of any agricultural method.

Looked at in its widest view, the scale of this farm organism extends beyond the fence line of the farm and includes the tangible and intangible forces that work through it. Examples of such “forces” include the climate, inherent wildlife of the earth (above and below the ground), the light and warmth from the sun and the focusing of even more distant cosmic influences through the other planetary members of our sun’s solar system. The Biodynamic method of farming attempts to align all of the factors that are inherent in a living farm system in a harmonious manner. The food that results is very true to its essence and provides deeply penetrating nutrition that is medicinal as well as delicious.

Source:http://demeter-usa.org/about-biodynamic-agriculture/

QTrade Warehouse Tea and Herbs Tour

The SCAA and Natural Products West shows are coming up....now is the time to schedule your tour with us while here at the shows. We will tour, cup tea, and discuss opportunities for growth.

Email me: Desiree@qtradeteas.com
949 766 0070 x525

Ready to design a custom Iced Tea Filter Pack line?

We offer house blends of filter pack teas packed in 1 or 3 gallon brews and in filter or cello pack. Custom formulation available too.

QTrade is a direct from source importer of quality ingredients serving the food and beverage industries. We are the largest importer of Organic teas in the United States, and also offer a growing selection of Organic herbs, spices, fruits and flowers.

Let's get a head start before Spring and Summer!


Email me: desiree@qtradeteas.com or call 949 766 0070 x525

Journey Into World of Fair Trade...Presentation at UCLA Jan.20th, 2009

UCLA International Institute 2009-2010 International Human Rights Film Series
The Bitter Taste of Tea: A Journey into
the World of Fair Trade
Film screening followed by a forum on tea and fair trade.
Tom Heinemann and Erling Borgen’s 2008 documentary
travels to tea estates in Sri Lanka, Kenya, India, and
Bangladesh—some traditional, some fair trade—to
expose unsafe work environments and labor exploitation.
Finding little meaningful difference between fair trade and
non-fair trade operations, questions arise: Are fair trade
organizations such as the E.U.’s Max Havelaar Foundation
being duped by tea growers? Or are growers doing the
best they can in a brutal industry and a market that has
yet to demand the quantities of fair trade tea that would
create meaningful trickle-down profits for their workers?
It is left to the viewer to weigh the arguments and decide.
The film will be followed by a discussion forum on tea and fair trade with:
Katherine Stone, UCLA Professor of Law
Rodney North, "The Answer Man," Equal Exchange
David Funkhouser, TransFair USA
Moderated by Beatrice Hohenegger, author and guest curator of
“Steeped in History: The Art of Tea”
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
James Bridges Theater, 1409 Melnitz
*There will be an informal reception before the screening beginning at 6:00 pm.
Part of the UCLA International Institute Human Rights Film Series.
For more info visit www.international.ucla.edu/humanrights

Fresh Cup Magazine Almanac 2009 with Manik and QTrade Team

Interesting Article on our owner...I didn't know until today my picture is in there! I finally received my copy in the mail today after it was a most coveted item with the team, I had to order another....check it out.
https://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B8NhRIUvB54XOTdmMTNhY2UtM2QwMi00NGEyLTllYjItYWFkYTA3NGJlMmM2&hl=en

Designer Tea is nothing to Blink at...

Blink Bonnie: A visually stunning hand-twisted tea consisting of 1-2 inch "spears" of green, cinnamon-colored and white leaves. The infusion is curly and very colorful, the liquor light and attractive with medium body. [Item#: A10001 | Origin: Sri Lanka | Fair Trade | Bio-Dynamic | Color: Green | Case Weight: 25.0 Kg / 55.50 Lb]
Tea: Blink Bonnie - Organic, Bio Dynamic, Fair Trade, Green Tea
Origin: Indulashinna, Sri Lanka
Steep time: 5 Minutes
Temperature: 200 degrees
Where to buy: The Tea Spot
Certifications: Demeter, QAI, Kosher, Fair Trade
Music to cup with this tea: Indigo Girls: Closer to Fine
Cheese to pair with: Gruyere Swiss
Very limited Qty

Why Rooibos Matters...

This information from the South African Rooibos Council clearly says it all....but more over, I have used and drank Rooibos for years as well as use it in Dermalogica Products.

As far back as 1830 botanists at the Cape made sketches of the Rooibos shrub and published their work. Since then scientists around the world have published their Rooibos research findings in a wide variety of leading scientific journals.
In 2008 Professor Lizette Joubert of the Agricultural Research Council and Professor Wentzel Gelderblom of the Medical Research Council, along with two more collaborators, published an overview of existing knowledge about the history, cultivation, traditional uses, composition and biological activity of Rooibos and other South African herbal teas. Their 37-page review article was published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology.*
Key facts about the composition of Rooibos, and the importance of its compounds, can be summarised as follows:
• Rooibos contains a complex mix of many flavonoids (compounds widely found in plants that are known to have health
benefits).
• Its composition is unique, because it contains aspalathin - to date only isolated from Aspalathus linearis (the botanical
name for Rooibos).
• Aspalathin is the major flavonoid of unfermented Rooibos. It decreases during fermentation, but is still a major flavonoid
constituent of fermented Rooibos (the tea with the characteristic red-brown colour and flavour).
• Aspalathin is important, not only because it is a novel compound, but also because it is the most active antioxidant in
Rooibos in many cases.
• Rooibos also contains the rare flavonoid glucoside nothofagin.
• Other major phenolic compounds are orientin and iso-orientin, with smaller amounts of vitexin and isovitexin and many
more compounds.
• The flavonoid composition of Rooibos varies between different regions and seasons, probably due to different soil and
climate conditions, as well as genetic variations in the seeds used to propagate the plant.
• Rooibos does not contain caffeine.
• It is considered a low tannin beverage, especially when compared to Camellia sinensis (black) tea. • The antioxidant activity of teas is very important, because they can scavenge free radicals and so help to protect cells and
lipids (fats) against oxidative damage. Several studies have shown that Rooibos extracts contain powerful free radical
scavengers.
• The flavonoids in Rooibos are also able to modulate (influence) the actions of carcinogens in the cell, thereby preventing or
slowing down cancer. The major flavonoids in Rooibos (and possibly also other Rooibos compounds that are still unknown) demonstrate antimutagenic properties. In some studies green (unfermented) Rooibos is a more potent antimutagenic agent, while other studies found that fermented Rooibos has a higher antimutagenic effect. The type of mutagen (cancer causing substance) also has an effect.
• The antioxidants in Rooibos also protect the liver against oxidative stress and it could have value for liver patients. Studies on Japanese quails have shown that Rooibos also has an antihemolytic effect (protecting blood cells) and anti-ageing properties (slowing down brain degeneration and prolonging fertility).
• The bronchodilatory, antispasmodic and blood pressure lowering effects of Rooibos, and its potential to stimulate the immune system, has been shown in some studies, but needs to be further explored.
• Human studies have shown that taking Rooibos is an effective way to treat several skin conditions. It decreased the incidence of herpes simplex within a few days, helped for itching (associated with dermatitis), and could reduce inflammation and sun sensitivity of the skin.
* Joubert, E., Gelderblom, W.C.A., Louw, A., De Beer, C., 2008. South African herbal teas: Aspalathus linearis, Cyclopia spp. and Athrixia phylicoides - A review. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 119, 376 - 412.