Innovative Line of Organic Juice-Infused Premium Tea Introduced by Old Orchard

01/12/06 Tea of all “colors” has become a veritable phenomenon in the United States, largely due to its reported health benefits, and is now the fastest-growing beverage segment in the nation. Old Orchard Brands enhanced the segment today with the introduction of Old Orchard Brands Premium Tea, a new line of ready-to-drink (RTD) teas infused with organic juices at the top of the USDA’s ORAC chart for antioxidant-content. The line features four distinctive blends—Green Tea Pomegranate, Green Tea with Honey and Lemon, White Tea Southern Peach and Red (Rooibos) Tea with European Black Currant. All four blends will begin shipping in December.

Old Orchard Brands Premium Tea is certified organic by the USDA and contains no added sugars, preservatives, artificial colors and/or flavors. The introduction marks the first time premium antioxidant teas will be available in economical, multi-serve 64-ounce bottle versus the traditional single-serve format. Old Orchard Brands Premium Tea has a suggested retail price of $2.99—nearly half the cost per ounce of other teas on the market.

The RTD tea category is growing faster than any other segment of the beverage industry, up 23.4 percent in 2006. At more than $1 billion, it is twice the size of the energy drink segment and nearly half the size of the entire bottled juice category. The boom of RTD teas is due in part to increasing consumer awareness of the benefits of a diet high in antioxidants. It may equally reflect decreasing consumer demand for carbonated beverages—a category that declined this year for the first time in 20 years.

“American consumers have become more discerning, and their beverage tastes more nuanced. In addition, their need for physical fitness and mental well-being is dramatically expanding the ready-to-drink category,” said Mark Saur, president and founder of Old Orchard Brands. “We developed Old Orchard Premium Tea to meet consumer demand for a healthy beverage choice that is lower in sugar and calories, yet refreshingly balanced in taste. This line features emerging flavors that can be part of an inclusive diet that benefits the healthy lifestyle.”

Old Orchard Premium Tea joins a long list of recent premium beverage product introductions from the nation’s third-largest juice producer. Old Orchard Brands 100% Pure Pomegranate, 100% Tart Cherry, Black Currant 100% Juice and blends including Pomegranate-Blueberry, Pomegranate-Black Currant and Black Currant-Blueberry have all been introduced in the past 12 months. All feature 100 % juice with no added sugars, preservatives, colors or flavors.