As health-and-wellness trends proliferate in the marketplace, consumers demand products offering functional benefits as well as great flavor. Used for thousands of years, tea has been a popular go-to for many health-conscious consumers whether in bagged, ready-to-drink (RTD) or through non-traditional categories like sports drinks and spirits.
A January 2015 report from Los Angeles-based IBISWorld titled “Tea Production in the US,” highlights the growing emphasis on a healthy lifestyle that has shifted consumers toward healthier beverages, thus driving the growth of tea-based beverages and its use as a functional ingredient.