Canned tea is a relatively recent method of marketing tea which has been sold traditionally as leaf tea and also, for the last 100 years, in tea bag form. It utilises the canning process to produce a ready made drink. Perceived advantages are ease of use (minimal or no preparation time) and the possibility of additives (such as flavours or sugar); the disadvantages are the cost of shipment (and therefore the price of the product) and a lack of freshness.[1]
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Tea is a beverage made by steeping processed leaves, buds, or twigs of the plant Camellia sinensis in hot water for a few minutes. The processing can include oxidation (called "fermentation" in the tea industry), heating, drying and the addition of herbs, flowers, spices and fruits. There are four main types of tea: black, oolong, green, and white. Tea is a natural source of caffeine, theophylline, theanine, and antioxidants; but it has almost no fat, carbohydrates, or protein
Tea has been consumed in China for around 5,000 years.
Canning is a method of preserving food by heating it to a temperature that destroys contaminating microorganisms, and then sealing it in air-tight jars, cans, or pouches. Patented in the UK in 1810, this method of preservation was not used extensively for soft drinks until the pull tab version was patented in the USA in 1963
Black tea, the most oxidized of the four main varieties, is generally stronger in flavor and contains more caffeine than the less oxidized varieties. It is the traditional tea of the western world where it is known simply as "tea".
Oolong (Chinese: 烏龍; pinyin: wūlóng) is a traditional Chinese type of tea somewhere between green and black in oxidation.[7] Although it has a taste more akin to green tea than to black tea, it does not have the stridently grassy vegetal notes that typify green tea. The best Oolong has a nuanced flavor profile. It is commonly brewed to be strong and bitter, yet leaving a faintly sweet aftertaste. The first commercially canned Oolong tea was available in Japan in 1981.[2]
Green tea (simplified Chinese: 绿茶; traditional Chinese: 綠茶; pinyin: lǜchá) has undergone minimal oxidation during processing. It is popular in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, and the Middle East. Recently it has become more widespread in the West. The first commercially canned green tea was available in Japan in 1985.[2] Subsequently, other brands have been launched in many countries due mainly to the claimed health and diet benefits of green tea.
According to the trade journal Beverage Digest, flavoured bottled water, sports drinks and teas, are increasing sales with the decline in sales of sugary soft drinks - with cold tea the fastest growing non-carbonated beverage category in the US during the first half of 2006. Canned green tea in particular has benefited from health claims arising from research findings .