The old saying goes, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away,” but consumers also are turning to beverages such as tea to support their health. “Tea is increasingly positioned as a functional beverage, a drink that is not only better for you than other beverages, but also as a drink that can do something for you, whether it be [to] help you sleep, digestive help, etc.,” says Dana LaMendola, beverages analyst with Euromonitor International, Chicago.
LaMendola notes that health and wellness trends — as well as consumer education — have supported increased consumption in the U.S. hot tea market. The same could be said for U.S. ready-to-drink (RTD) tea, which has increased in both volume and dollar sales from 2008 to 2013, she adds.