The ready-to-drink (RTD) tea market is already a vast industry, and their future looks even brighter. In fact, the global tea market is expected to reach $21.33 billion by 2024. North America is projected to remain the largest player, accounting for 37.7% of that revenue.
What’s driving this trend? The main force behind this movement is consumers’ overall increased interest in healthier food and drink options. People are becoming more aware of the high amounts of sugar in drinks like sodas, and the negative impact they can have on their health. More consumers are turning to RTD teas as they start to search for healthier drink options. Then there’s the health benefits of the tea itself. Tea contains a significant number of polyphenolic flavonoids which studies have shown may be helpful in reducing the risk of various illnesses, including cancer and coronary heart disease. Both green and black teas have shown to have these potential health benefits. This, combined with the convenience, portability, and accessibility of RTD teas, makes them a much-desired product.
So why should you be paying attention to this trend? Because in order to remain competitive against flavorful beverages like soft drinks, tea producers need their RTD teas to taste great in addition to being good for you. The overall taste of these teas is decided by the added flavor essences. While tea extracts are what gives the tea it’s bitterness and health benefits, it’s the essences that add the unique flavor profiles to each beverage. The type and quantity of the essence used can cause great variations in taste. Currently, lemon and peach are the most popular flavor choices followed by pomegranate, mint, chocolate, mango, orange, and berry. Looking ahead, we see new flavors such as ginger, super fruits, and coconut gaining popularity.
No matter what flavor ingredient you’re looking for, Aurochemicals has you covered with a 24-hour turnaround time on 95% of our over 500 natural ingredients. We’re also continuously adding new products to our catalog, so you’ll always be able to keep up with all the flavor trends.