This suggests that tea extracts, which have recently been associated with having healthful properties, are increasingly being marketed on their flavour properties as well.
The ingredients, which have been developed by Moore Ingredients in the US, are all organic certified for Europe under reg EEC 2092/91.
The company said that these extracts can replace industrial tea infusions steps, allowing food and beverage producers to save time, reduce costs, and gain consistency. The extraction process is designed to ensure optimal retention of the volatile chemicals of tea for a true-to-nature, fresh brewed flavour.
European demand for tea extracts is currently surging, having reached 500 metric tonnes by 2003. This growth can be attributed to two factors: better flavour extraction technology and the weight of scientific evidence on the benefits of tea.
The new tea extracts range is made of extracts, concentrates and distillates, offering different flavours, colours (from dark to limpid), ethanol concentrations and provenance.
Euringus, which was established in 2003, supplies natural and botanical extracts, natural flavour enhancers, natural chemicals and seafood extracts to both the flavour industry and the food and beverage industry in Europe. As well as distributing products for firms such as Moore Ingredients and PTX Food Corporation, it also develops products under its own label.
The global tea market is worth about €790m (£540m, $941m). Green tea accounts for about 20 per cent of total global production, while black tea (green tea that has been oxidized by fermentation) accounts for about 78 per cent.