Claims marketers make: formulating with common ingredients that have healthful halos enables marketers to make a variety of claims

Dairy Foods, Sept, 2004

Let's move on to tea, the beverage of choice for health-conscious, on-the-go consumers. Tea is loaded with powerful antioxidants classified as polyphenols. Research indicates that the antioxidants in tea may inhibit the growth of cancer cells and support cardiovascular health.

Tea varieties are classified by the manner in which the leaves are processed after plucking. The four most common tea varieties are black, green, oolong and white.

Inko's LLC, New York City, is dedicated to producing ready-to-drink white tea beverages because the company believes in the benefits of consuming white tea. Studies show that white tea has a higher level of antioxidants than green tea, potentially making it a superior cancer fighter. Recently, Inko's rolled out its fourth and fifth flavors: Inko's Blueberry White Tea and Inko's Honeydew White Tea. (Blueberries plus white tea ... this looks like a company that knows how to synergize!)

Tempe, Az.-based Revolution Tea, recently rolled out the first unsweetened bottled White T ready-to-drink iced tea. Made from premium white tea and a splash of fresh fruit, this healthful beverage contains no calories, carbohydrates, sweeteners or preservatives. White T comes in four flavors: Blackberry, key lime, raspberry and tangerine.

Dairies can manufacture and bottle iced tea, too, using the same equipment that pasteurizes and bottles fluid milk. Tea can also be blended with milk to make drinks such as chai, a centuries-old Asian beverage that is typically served hot, but since being modernized, is frequently consumed cold. It is a blend of milk, fine black teas, honey and a variety of spices, which vary by region and culture. Typically, cardamom, ginger and even pepper are used as spices.

Last, but not least, there's cocoa and chocolate. The antioxidants called flavonoids, which are particularly concentrated in dark chocolate, are associated with being good for the heart. The quality and quantity of flavonoids in raw cocoa beans are very high; however, the amount of flavonoids in chocolate products, including chocolate-flavored milk, depends in part on the quality of the cocoa or chocolate ingredient and on how the finished products are processed.

Wayne, N.J.-based Ecco Bella, which means "behold beautiful" in Italian, is a beauty products company that believes in the power of chocolate. In fact, the company, which previously focused solely on cosmetics, now makes edible chocolate products promoted with phrases such as "the most decadent way to soft, smooth, luxurious skin" and "delicious Swiss chocolate with antioxidants for beautiful skin."

Branded Health By Chocolate, the product comes as either a drink mix for blending into milk or in candy bar form. Both products are based on organic cocoa, and infused with cranberry seed oil for omega-3 fatty acids, plus blueberry extract (there's that synergy again), lutein, lycopene and fiber.

As you can see, marketers of other products are openly touting the benefits of the ingredients they are made with. Dairy foods can, too.