By Philexport News and Features

05 January 2019

Published also in Business Mirror

DEMAND for organic beverages, particularly coffee and tea, is rising in Canada as more consumers have become more focused on their health.

The Euromonitor Digest, released by the Department of Trade and Industry-Export Marketing Bureau, cited consumer surveys indicating that organic products are increasingly becoming an integral part of daily life for many Canadians.

“While consumer base for organic food and beverages is expanding, their spending on organic products is also increasing according to trade sources, which is particularly the case for younger consumers, including millennials who are gaining purchasing power,” it said.

The report noted that all organic beverages categories experienced strong growth in health and wellness beverages in Canada in 2017, apart from organic concentrates, which outperformed the rest of organic beverages although it declined.

“Organic coffee leads followed by organic tea supported by new product launches and premiumization trend. Organic tea also benefited from its presence in mainstream grocery stores with the major conventional tea players embracing the trend,” it said.

The report further said the growing popularity of organic products and organic certifications gradually spread to segments previously unaffected due to the need to cater to consumers who are “very health conscious and need assurance.”

It cited as an example bottled-water brands, including blk. and TRACE, which have organic certifications in addition to other claims such as certified Kosher, gluten-free and non-GMO.

This, despite these products being naturally gluten-free and non-GMO unless contaminated during manufacturing or bottling processes.