Consumer interest in healthy beverages has led to an evolving marketplace within the industry, experts note. For instance, the tea category has experienced sales increases due to consumer emphasis placed on healthy living habits, according to a January report from Santa Monica, Calif.-based IBISWorld titled “Tea Production in the US.”

The report also notes that beverage manufacturers are capitalizing on these trends through marketing efforts. “Backed by the scientific community, tea manufacturers are marketing the various health benefits of tea consumption, such as its effect on lowering cholesterol,” the report states. “Additionally, as Americans become more health conscious, they will seek alternatives to sugar-rich, carbonated beverages.”