Penned by Burt Bacharach and his then-wife Carole Bayer Sager in 1987, “That’s What Friends Are For,” extols people to “Keep smilin', keep shinin', Knowin' you can always count on me.” In the ready-to-drink (RTD) tea category, the fermented sparkling probiotic benefits of kombucha is “shining a bright light” on the category with double-digit growth and close to $1 billion in sales.
Lu Ann Williams, global insights director at Innova Market Insights, The Netherlands, suggests that the consistent rise in the size of the global kombucha market is due to consumers seeking out functional foods and beverages to fulfill a healthier, more tailored lifestyle. In fact, 26 percent of global consumers are buying more drinking yogurt/fermented beverages, she says.