Listen to Episode 127
Tea News for the week ending July 28
| Kenya’s KTDA Chair Resigns Following Tea Reforms Conference
| Nestle Announces Cost-Effective Sugar Reduction Technology
| AriZona Unveils a Hard Iced Tea – Monster Tea is Next
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PLUS
Trustea was launched in 2013 by tea industry stakeholders, and producers determined to elevate the quality of India’s domestic tea. Today 65% of the tea produced in India adheres to the trustea Code. This month, trustea celebrates ten years of service, improving the competitiveness of tea gardens by positively influencing the practices and scale of production, farm organization, processing, new technologies, and supply chain development. We invited Rajesh Bhuyan, Director of the trustea Sustainable Tea Foundation, to describe’s trustea’s impact and plans for the decade ahead, including a Seal on Pack label to inform consumers of brand compliance with the code.
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KTDA David Ichoho Withdraws Lawsuit Alleging His Resignation Was Forced
By Dan Bolton
The reason for the abrupt resignation of Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) chairman David Muni Ichoho effective July 14, remains a matter of speculation.
Ichoho submitted a one-sentence handwritten letter of resignation on July 13, shortly after the conclusion of a Tea Reforms Conference chaired by Kenya Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua. No reason was cited. Ichoho was elected to the post two years ago and awarded a contract that expires in June 2024.
Ichoho immediately filed a lawsuit alleging he was coerced to resign. Several KTDA board members, the agency’s secretary, and CEO, joined the suit supporting Ichoho. The Kiambu tea factory directors called the ouster an “unprocedural dethronement.” The High Court agreed and temporarily barred the suspension of his contract.
Enos Njiru Njeru was named Chairman the following Monday.
Peoples Daily reported that Gilbert Githae, a director at Mataara Tea Factory, said, “KTDA has structures and rules that govern it. Ichoho was not subjected to the normal processes of removing the KTDA national chairperson from office. The director’s opinion and that of the farmers he represents were never sought.” He said farmers reported higher earnings, on-time payments, and subsidized fertilizer. Since he was elected chair, no administrative actions have been taken against him or complaints regarding the execution of his duties, according to Business Daily Africa.
The following week Ichoho notified the court of his desire to withdraw the suit.
During the conference, the agency faced strong criticism from Kericho County farmers and tea industry principals, which was called to quell violent protests, vandalism, and theft. Gachagua, who convened the two-day conference, promised a NIS audit to determine if KTDA directors mismanaged resources. He said he is committed to Tea Act reforms.
KTDA buys and markets tea on behalf of 630,000 smallholders. An additional 320,000 farmers supply green leaves to private factories in Bomet and Kericho.
BIZ INSIGHT – Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua also announced that former Kenya Tea Development Agency directors prevented from participating in the 2021 factory elections will be eligible to contest sitting directors in an election scheduled for April 2024. “Why should we stop them from running? Kenya is a democracy; let them run if they messed up, the farmers will reject them, and if they did a good job, they will be re-elected,” Gachagua told The Star.
AriZona Unveils a Hard Iced Tea
AriZona Hard is a new line of canned tea containing 5% alcohol by volume. The top-selling brand in the US and the largest real brewed Green Tea brand by volume features ginseng extract and honey. The peach flavor matches its non-alcohol twin, and its brewed black tea version is flavored with lemon-inspired citrus notes to create an adult version of the flavor fans have come to know and love,” according to the company.
The blends were first introduced in Canada in 2020 with premium vodka and a half & half lemonade. The tea is sold in the familiar 22-oz cans at a suggested price of $3.49. Initial markets include Florida via Southeast Distribution Co.
BIZ INSIGHT – Monster also announced a beverage-alcohol line in the flavored malt beverage category. Nasty Beast hard iced tea will contain 6% alcohol in four flavors. AriZona countered with a Marvel Comics-inspired LXR Hero Hydration energy line in 16-oz bottles.
Nestle Announces Cost-Effective Sugar Reduction Technology
By Dan Bolton
Nestlé has released a clinically proven enzymatic process that reduces intrinsic sugar in beverage ingredients, including milk and fruit juices, by up to 30%, with a minimal impact on taste and texture. The sugar-reduced ingredients are then used in recipes for various products. According to the company, there is no need to add sweeteners or bulking agents to replace the volume of the eliminated sugar.
In milk-based tea, the patented sugar reduction method increases prebiotic fibers. The first clinical studies have shown that these fibers can support the growth of multiple beneficial bacteria leading to a favorable microbiome composition in healthy adults.
Makers of tea and juice fusion beverages and ready-to-drink teas will benefit.
Nestlé Chief Technology Officer Stefan Palzer says, “Sugar reduction across our portfolio remains a top priority. This new technology is a true breakthrough, as we can reduce sugar without adding sweeteners while preserving a great taste, all at a minimal cost increase. We are now accelerating the global roll-out across formats and categories.”
The sugar reduction was first piloted in cocoa and malt-based ready-to-drink beverages in Southeast Asia, and over the past year, Nestlé has already introduced it in factory lines for cocoa and malt-based powdered beverages such as Milo across several countries across Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Since 2021, sugar reduction technology has been applied to over 200 000 tons of cocoa and malt-based beverages.
FEATURES
India’s Holistic Tea Sustainability Code
By Aravinda Anantharaman
Rajesh Bhuyan is the founding director of trustea, a sustainability code and verification system for Indian tea. The program is advised by an inclusive multi-stakeholder council that formulates and approves long-term strategies. The collaborative nature of the trustea “helps us when we go out and meet the tea community when we propagate our program because it has come out through the approval of the larger tea fraternity,” says Bhuyan. Read more…
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