WILD Launches Rooibos Based Natural Tea Infusions Concepts

The concepts from WILD enable beverage producers to clearly differentiate their products from classic extract-based ice teas. In addition, consumers are willing to pay more for premium tea concepts.

30/06/09 WILD has developed innovative infusion-based concepts that offer high-quality, natural and great tasting tea enjoyment for the European growth segment of tea drinks. Now WILD has expanded its premium selection with creations based on rooibos.

According to the market research firm Canadean, the “ready-to-drink tea” category grew at an average of 9% per year between 2000 and 2008. Innova Market Insights (www.innovadatabase.com) reported 233 new products using rooibos as an ingredient in the last 12 months (June 08-June 09) compared to 204 in the previous 12 months. Of these recent product launches, 161 came in the tea segment and 26 were iced tea products.

The concepts from WILD enable beverage producers to clearly differentiate their products from classic extract-based ice teas. In addition, consumers are willing to pay more for premium tea concepts.

WILD is now offering tea infusion concepts based on rooibos. The new creations complement the previous WILD product concepts based on traditional black tea and trendy white and green teas. Rooibos-based beverages enable producers to appeal to a broader target group. The rooibos plant, native to South Africa, is known to contain no caffeine, making rooibos-based drinks perfect natural thirst-quenchers for children. White and green tea drinks are among the most successful tea products in Western Europe with white tea growing an average of 88% between 2006 and 2008, and green tea 29% (source: Canadean). Consumers perceive both varieties – as well as rooibos – as premium wellness products. “Premium or wellness tea drinks are not seasonal, like traditional ice tea, which is considered a typical summer beverage,” explains Jochen Heininger, Director Product Management Beverage Europe at WILD. “That gives producers a clear competitive edge.”

WILD processes the raw materials for its premium concepts with great care to protect the tea’s quality. A specially developed, gentle infusion process preserves the maximum authentic tea taste. Beverage producers themselves need no brewing or infusion technology. “Consumers are won over by the high quality of the products which taste just like freshly brewed,” says Heininger.

WILD offers a flavor system of various top-notch sweeteners and flavors for every customer need. Fruit Up, the natural sweetener, best supports authentic tea enjoyment. Natural extracts and flavors round out the taste. WILD developed a fine flavoring for its rooibos concepts with the superfruit pomegranate and a vanilla-cherry blossom blend.