Explanation on what herbal infusions are

Variety from A to Z - herbal and fruit infusions suit all tastes

Herbal and fruit infusions are amongst the world's most popular and widely enjoyed beverages, thanks to their almost unlimited variety and their convenience. From every imaginable kind of fruity flavour, from minty, flowery, sweetish to spicy or pungent, these drinks offer the full range of flavour to suit every taste and any occasion.

Herbal and fruit infusions consist of dried parts of plants which do not originate from the tea plant (Camellia sinensis, L.O. Kuntze) and which are intended to be prepared like tea, using boiling water. The range includes both classic products made from plant parts obtained from a single plant, for instance peppermint, as well as blends of different herbs and/or fruits. In addition, there is a wide range of blends on offer to which flavourings have been added, or which are enriched with vitamins, for example.

Up to 300 different plants and parts of plants are used for making herbal and fruit infusions. The parts selected for use depend on where the aromatic substances are located in the plant itself. It could be the leaves (such as orange leaves or peppermint leaves), fruits or fruit bits (such as apple bits or rose-hip bits), or flowers (such as lime flowers or camomile flowers). Possible ingredients for use in herbal and fruit infusions are listed in EHIAs "Inventory List of Herbals considered as food".

France

Consumption of herbal and fruit infusions in France have been built from a long tradition whereby herbals are prepared and consumed to take advantage of their health or medicinal benefits. In the last couple of decades the market has evolved towards more creative blends focusing upon pleasure, exoticism and well being. The French consumption profile cuts through a large range of varieties, from pure herbal infusions such as verbena, lime blossom and peppermint to combinations of herb and fruit flavoured recipes, including liquorice, lemon and red fruits.

The East and North East regions in France show significantly higher consumption in comparison to other areas, taking benefit from neighbouring countries. The consumption pattern shifts to fruitier infusions and camomile is preferred over verbena and lime blossom.

Herbal infusions consumer’s statistics in France:
50 % of them are under 50 years old and 65 % are women.
89 % of the volumes are tea bags, 10 % are instant mixes and 1 % is loose.
90 % of the infusions are drunk in the evening, especially in winter.

Germany

37,306 t of herbal and fruit infusions were sold in 2006 and they were drunk by young and old alike.

There is a general preference for plain unblended products as peppermint, camomile and rooibos making up approximately 60 % of consumed herbal and fruit infusions. Flavoured and non-flavoured blends make up additional 40 %.

Amongst the herbals and fruits there is a winner: peppermint. 6,114 t of peppermint were sold in 2006, thus a nice plus of 4.3 % versus previous year.

Flavoured blends still corner the blend market with a proportion of 74 %.

Italy

The Italian herbal infusions market is increasing, especially the consumption of certain types, such as fennel, fruit blends, mallow, herb blends and hibiscus.
During 2006 1,020 t of herbal and fruit infusions (including chamomile) were sold. This means an increase of 41.53 % versus previous year.

Camomile is the most common herbal infusion, usually drunk at night and all year round except in the summer months where consumption decreases considerably.
According to Nielsen data nearly 275 t of camomile (filter and soluble doses) were sold in 2006.

Consumers are of all ages, young and old. Soluble camomile is preferably consumed by infants as it meets their kind of food intake and for its pleasant taste.

United Kingdom

The UK infusions market is still showing good growth year on year at 11.2% (latest value MAT) with 23.2% of households now buying into the infusions category. Variety is key for the consumers within this sector and supermarket offerings reflect this, however Camomile and Peppermint still represent the largest unit sales.

Most consumers come into the category for health reasons - either to cut down on caffeine or for the perceived beneficial effects. Products are drunk across the age groups with women making up the main demographic.
The market is mainly made up of 20 teabag packs, the majority in standard heatseal teabag format. The UK market is seasonal with a dip in sales from early June to late August. Emerging trends within the market included Rooibos and Honeybush, as well as many 'benefit' led offerings e.g. energy, calm etc.

herbal and fruit infusions
market data