Private Label Tea Packaging

Tea is not only a drink but also useful for us in many other ways. Here are 15 wonderful uses for tea.

1. Apply a wet tea bag on the razor burn to reduce the pain
2. Place the lukewarm tea bags on your closed eyes to refresh your tired eyes
3. Soak a tea bag in cool water and place it on to the site to stop the bleeding and pain of a lost tooth
4. Place your feet in strong tea concoction to get rid of the unpleasant odor
5. Soak a tea bag in cool water and place it over the site of injection to relieve the pain
6. Apply a few wet tea bags on the affected skin after sunburn to reduce the pain
7. Plunge a cotton ball in tea and wipe on the affected part due to ivy rash to relieve from the pain
8. Gargling with the herbal tea made with peppermint reduces toothache
9. Wash your hair with a cup of herbal tea after shampooing to make the hair silky and shiny
10. Clean the wood furniture with a soft cloth dipped in a freshly prepared tea to add shine to them
11. Sprinkling some used tea bags near the rosebushes enhances their growth by nourishing them
12. Spark the mirror by cleaning it with a soft cloth dipped in tea
13. Place a few used tea bags on top of the drainage layer at the bottom of the planter before potting to keep the plants healthier
14. Let the used tea bags open and dry and then use them as stuffing for sachets to give perfume to them
15. Pour some cups of tea into the compost to accelerate the decomposition and create acid rich compost
link
Tea20is20not20only20a20drink20but20also20useful20for20us20in20many20other20ways.20Here20are201520wonderful20uses20for20tea.0A0A2020201.20Apply20a20wet20tea20bag20on20the20razor20burn20to20reduce20the20pain0A2020202.20Place20the20lukewarm20tea20bags20on20your20closed20eyes20to20refresh20your20tired20eyes0A2020203.20Soak20a20tea20bag20in20cool20water20and20place20it20on20to20the20site20to20stop20the20bleeding20and20pain20of20a20lost20tooth0A2020204.20Place20your20feet20in20strong20tea20concoction20to20get20rid20of20the20unpleasant20odor0A2020205.20Soak20a20tea20bag20in20cool20water20and20place20it20over20the20site20of20injection20to20relieve20the20pain0A2020206.20Apply20a20few20wet20tea20bags20on20the20affected20skin20after20sunburn20to20reduce20the20pain0A2020207.20Plunge20a20cotton20ball20in20tea20and20wipe20on20the20affected20part20due20to20ivy20rash20to20relieve20from20the20pain0A2020208.20Gargling20with20the20herbal20tea20made20with20peppermint20reduces20toothache0A2020209.20Wash20your20hair20with20a20cup20of20herbal20tea20after20shampooing20to20make20the20hair20silky20and20shiny0A202010.20Clean20the20wood20furniture20with20a20soft20cloth20dipped20in20a20freshly20prepared20tea20to20add20shine20to20them0A202011.20Sprinkling20some20used20tea20bags20near20the20rosebushes20enhances20their20growth20by20nourishing20them0A202012.20Spark20the20mirror20by20cleaning20it20with20a20soft20cloth20dipped20in20tea0A202013.20Place20a20few20used20tea20bags20on20top20of20the20drainage20layer20at20the20bottom20of20the20planter20before20potting20to20keep20the20plants20healthier0A202014.20Let20the20used20tea20bags20open20and20dry20and20then20use20them20as20stuffing20for20sachets20to20give20perfume20to20them0A202015.20Pour20some20cups20of20tea20into20the20compost20to20accelerate20the20decomposition20and20create20acid20rich20compost

A nice cup of tea —George Orwell

If you look up ‘tea’ in the first cookery book that comes to hand you will probably find that it is unmentioned; or at most you will find a few lines of sketchy instructions which give no ruling on several of the most important points.

This is curious, not only because tea is one of the main stays of civilization in this country, as well as in Eire, Australia and New Zealand, but because the best manner of making it is the subject of violent disputes.

When I look through my own recipe for the perfect cup of tea, I find no fewer than eleven outstanding points. On perhaps two of them there would be pretty general agreement, but at least four others are acutely controversial. Here are my own eleven rules, every one of which I regard as golden:

First of all, one should use Indian or Ceylonese tea. China tea has virtues which are not to be despised nowadays—it is economical, and one can drink it without milk—but there is not much stimulation in it. One does not feel wiser, braver or more optimistic after drinking it. Anyone who has used that comforting phrase ‘a nice cup often’ invariably means Indian tea. Secondly, tea should be made in small quantities—that is, in a teapot. Tea out of an urn is always tasteless, while army tea, made in cauldron, tastes of grease and whitewash. The teapot should be made of china or earthenware. Silver or Britannia ware teapots produce inferior tea and enamel pots are worse; though curiously enough pewter teapot (a rarity nowadays) is not so bad. Thirdly, the pot should be warmed beforehand. This is better done by placing it on the hob than by the usual method of swilling it out with hot water. Fourthly, the tea should be strong. For a pot holding a quart, if you are going to fill it nearly to the brim, six heaped teaspoons would be about right. In a time of rationing, this is not an idea that can be realized on every day of the week, but I maintain that one strong cup of tea is better than twenty weak ones. All true tea lovers not only like their tea strong, but like it a little stronger with each year that passes—a fact which is recognized in the extra ration issued to old-age pensioners. Fifthly, the tea should be put straight into the pot. No strainers, muslin bags or other devices to imprison the tea. In some countries teapots are fitted with little dangling baskets under the spout to catch the stray leaves, which are supposed to be harmful. Actually one can swallow tea-leaves in considerable quantities without ill effect, and if the tea is not loose in the pot it never infuses properly. Sixthly, one should take the teapot to the kettle and not the other way about. The water should be actually boiling at the moment of impact, which means that one should keep it on the flame while one pours. Some people add that one should only use water that has been freshly brought to the boil, but I have never noticed that it makes any difference. Seventhly, after making the tea, one should stir it, or better, give the pot a good shake, afterwards allowing the leaves to settle. Eighthly, one should drink out of a good breakfast cup—that is, the cylindrical type of cup, not the flat, shallow type. The breakfast cup holds more, and with the other kind one’s tea is always half cold—before one has well started on it. Ninthly, one should pour the cream off the milk before using it for tea. Milk that is too creamy always gives tea a sickly taste. Tenthly, one should pour tea into the cup first. This is one of the most controversial points of all; indeed in every family in Britain there are probably two schools of thought on the subject. The milk-first school can bring forward some fairly strong arguments, but I maintain that my own argument is unanswerable. This is that, by putting the tea in first and stirring as one pours, one can exactly regulate the amount of milk whereas one is liable to put in too much milk if one does it the other way round.

Lastly, tea—unless one is drinking it in the Russian style—should be drunk WITHOUT SUGAR. I know very well that I am in minority here. But still, how can you call yourself a true tea-lover if you destroy the flavour of your tea by putting sugar in it? It would be equally reasonable to put in pepper or salt. Tea is meant to be bitter, just as beer is meant to be bitter. If you sweeten it, you are no longer tasting the tea, you are merely tasting the sugar; you could make a very similar drink by dissolving sugar in plain hot water.

Some people would answer that they don’t like tea in itself, that they only drink it in order to be warmed and stimulated, and they need sugar to take the taste away. To those misguided people I would say: Try drinking tea without sugar for, say, a fortnight and it is very unlikely that you will ever want to ruin your tea by sweetening it again.

These are not the only controversial points to arise in connexion with tea drinking, but they are sufficient to show how utilized the whole business has become. There is also the mysterious social etiquette surrounding the teapot (why is it considered vulgar to drink out of your saucer, for instance?) and much might be written about the subsidiary uses of tealeaves, such as telling fortunes, predicting the arrival of visitors, feeding rabbits, healing burns and sweeping the carpet. It is worth paying attention to such details as warming the pot and using water that is really boiling, so as to make quite sure of wringing out of one’s ration the twenty good, strong cups of that two ounces, properly handled, ought to represent.

Eric Arthur Blair (1903-1950) better known by the pen name George Orwell, was an English author and journalist. Noted as a novelist, critic, political and cultural commentator, Orwell is among the most widely admired English-language essayists of the 20th century. This essay was written in 1949

The major tea producers in the world, in a bid to regulate production, supply and expand the market, have decided to constitute an International Tea Producers Forum (ITPF) during the International Tea Convention (ITC) that ended at Colombo on August 30.

The ITPF is expected to be formally launched at the India International Tea Festival scheduled for November in Guwahati, J.K. Thomas, President of Upasi and Vice-Chairman of India Tea Board, told Business Line on Tuesday.

He said that the tea producing countries felt that ITPF should be developed as a strong body on similar lines of other organisations such as the International Coffee Organization (ICO).

link

Officials believe sparks from a welder’s torch touched off a roaring blaze that demolished the Boston Tea Party & Museum’s shuttered gift shop at the city’s Fort Point Channel - six years after another fire shut down the historic landmark.

The wooden structure went up in flames around noon yesterday and was filled with souvenirs - from rubber lobsters to tea cups and saucers - already ruined by the 2001 lightning fire that closed the popular attraction.
Shawn Ford, vice president of sales for Historic Tours of America, which owns the tourist site, said nothing of “historical significance” was destroyed. Nonetheless, it was difficult to watch. “It’s always hard,” said Ford.

Replicas of the historic Tea Party ship were never in any danger. One is in Gloucester being refurbished, another is under construction and a third will be built on site. The museum once sat on a barge but was moved and dismantled after the 2001 fire, which caused $1.5 million in damages.

link

The private-label business keeps growing, creating more competition for national brands. And private label isn’t always the cheaper product these days.

Food Lion, a subsidiary of Delhaize Group in Brussels, is introducing more private-label brands throughout the summer. Delhaize Group U.S. wants to increase its private-brand penetration over the next several years.

Private-label brands usually carry a bigger profit margin for supermarkets. They also give customers more options and help supermarkets attract and retain customers by building loyalty. Other supermarkets cannot carry a competitor’s name brand.

link

Tea too strong? Too weak? Problem solved. This nattily attired tea penguin always brews the perfect cup. Set the timer for your ideal brew time (from 1 minute up to 20) and he lowers the teabag into the water. When the time is up, he lifts it out.

link

According to research commissioned by the Private Label Manufacturers Association (PLMA), consumers are increasingly looking to retailers’ private-label brands to fill their needs for new products, as in the case of the Simply Enjoy line of gourmet foods rolling out to Ahold (NYSE:AHO) banners Stop & Shop, Giant-Carlisle, and Giant-Landover, reports Progressive Grocer.

“The Simply Enjoy line of products is the latest example of store brands that are clearly moving to a higher level of quality and consumer acceptance,” noted PLMA president Brian Sharoff in a statement.

Sharoff attributes the much higher success rate of new products for store brands than for manufacturers to three main reasons: “One, the retailer owns the shelf and can keep products in stock longer; two, the retailer is closer to shoppers and understands their needs; and three, retailers can very quickly produce products in growth categories that tap into changing tastes and trends.”

Research conducted for the association by opinion polling organization Ipsos (OOTC:IPSOF) MORI found 41 percent of shoppers called themselves “frequent” buyers of store brands, compared with 36 percent results five years ago, and a mere 12 percent 15 years ago.

The survey further found that nearly half of consumers are more aware of private-label products than five years ago and are more willing to buy them. Additionally, almost two-thirds of those polled said they would buy more private label in the year to come if their stores carried more such products.

link

A tea price war has seen the cost of a cuppa drop to its lowest level for 30 years.

Research released yesterday says supermarkets are selling tea bags at between ½p and 1p each, which, when inflation is taken into account, makes them about four times cheaper than in 1977.

However, some experts are warning that the dwindling price of tea could see some Third World producers facing bankruptcy.
advertisement

Some producers are calling for a minimum wholesale price for tea as there is for coffee.

A combination of price cutting, the rise in own-label tea bags and a weak US dollar has seen the price of tea for shoppers slump.

link

Ralcorp Holdings of St Louis has seen sales surge close to 60% over the last few years, thanks to steady sales of its cereal, crackers, cookies and jellies. But don’t look for the Ralcorp brand name on your supermarket shelves.

The food company is the among the largest “private-label” manufacturers, which make their profits by producing goods that are sold under the labels of various retailers and grocers.

It’s a hot sector because more consumers are beginning to trust these cheaper-store brands, sold under names like Wegman’s or ShopRite, and like paying less than national brands.

Plus, private-label products are getting a boost from some missteps by traditional food manufacturers. Sales of private-label peanut butter at Ralcorp, for instance, got a boost from ConAgra’s recent recall of its Peter Pan and Great Value peanut-butter products amid concerns about salmonella contamination, says BB&T Capital Markets analyst Heather Jones. “It helped consumers to see that there may not be as much difference in private-label and branded products,” she said.

That’s putting pressure on traditional manufacturers of branded-food products to put a cap on prices, spend more on marketing and work harder to differentiate their offerings. Kraft Foods, for instance, has seen its share of some food categories drop amid competition from private labels.

link

IN MY LOCAL supermarket, ordinary leaf tea has now been consigned to the very bottom shelf. You have to clamber onto your hands and knees to locate a packet, as if you’re involved in the worship of some strange deity. Tea-bag tea dominates the shelves.

Making proper tea, in a pot with loose tea leaves, is now a minority pursuit. Suddenly it’s considered a bit eccentric, part of a quaint old Anglo world of kippers for breakfast and the darning of socks. When was tea-making consigned to the dustbin of history? Why did it happen?

In contemporary Australia, nothing is too much effort if you are talking about coffee. People stand there umming and ahhing about the coarseness of the grind and the darkness of the roast. They’ll willingly spend hundreds on a machine to make the stuff and will roll their eyes if anyone is foolish enough not to know the difference between a macchiato and a ristretto.

But with tea almost any effort is beyond the pale.

“Oh, I haven’t got time for that,” people will say if you ask about making a real pot of tea. It’s as if you were expecting them to don a kimono and enact the labyrinthine formalities of the Japanese tea ceremony.

Why is tea-making considered so hard? You boil water, pausing to warm the pot. You throw in three or four teaspoons of tea and then, bringing the pot to the kettle, you pour the boiling water over the tea.

link

The brew has been 80-year-old Bhismadeb’s food and drink for the past 22 years, and 62-year-old Debabrata’s for 12. The two tea drinkers don’t know about each other although both live in Burdwan district.

A resident of Daihat in Katwa, about 170 km from Calcutta, Bhismadeb gave up food for ever when wife Krishnarani served lunch half an hour late one afternoon 22 years ago.

The owner of a bicycle repairing shop, Bhismadeb always had his lunch at 1 pm sharp.

“One Sunday, my wife served me lunch at 1.30 pm. She knew how particular I was about being served lunch punctually but still she was late,” he said.

“I became so angry that I threw away the plate of rice, fish and vegetables. I decided to stop eating totally.”

Krishnarani and her sons pleaded with Bhismadeb repeatedly, but he would not touch food. “Call me crazy if you like but since then I have not had anything except tea. I drink 18 to 20 cups daily without milk,” Bhismadeb said, sipping the brew.

His wife still feels sorry for having served lunch late that afternoon in 1985, but Bhismadeb feels fine living only on tea.

His eldest son Manik, a grocer, thinks Bhismadeb is eccentric. “What was wrong with mother serving him lunch late? Such things can happen. I tried so many times to persuade him to eat but he wouldn’t listen.”

A week ago, Bhismadeb was admitted to Katwa sub-divisional hospital with chest infection. He was discharged today.

Debabrata decided tea would be his only food after he was reduced from riches to rags.

The bachelor makes a living washing dishes in a small eatery at Purbasthali bus stand, about 190 km from Calcutta.

Born in a well-off farmer’s family in Nadia’s Kaligunj, he had thought there would never be any need to work. After his father’s death, the school dropout inherited about Rs 8 lakh.

He was in his mid-thirties and thought the money would see him through the rest of his life. In 10 years, the lakhs were gone.

Debabrata came to Purbasthali in Burdwan, 45 km from Kaligunj, and took up the job of washing dishes. His pay: Rs 100 a month and 22 cups of tea every day.

“I don’t like eating ordinary food like rice and vegetables,” Debabrata said. “The hotel owner, Subrata Sit, offered me Rs 100 a month and a lunch of rice, lentils and vegetables every day. I refused it.

“I have never tasted such food in my life. I used to eat quality rice, meat and various kinds of fish delicacies.”

Instead of eating “run-of-the-mill” food, Debabrata chose to drink only tea. He lives in an abandoned room on the premises of the Purbasthali health centre.

Doctors at Burdwan Medical College and Hospital said a person can survive on tea but would lose physical strength and resistance. “An adult needs 1,500-2,000 calories and at least 1.5 litres of water daily which Bhismadeb and Debabrata are getting from tea,” said Dr Madhusudhan Chatterjee.

“Normally, a cup of tea contains around 100 calories, which means they are both getting around 2,000 calories daily.”

Hospital superintendent Debashish Bhattacharjee, however, warned: “They would fall ill sooner or later. Everyone needs a balanced diet.”

The Telegraph - Calcutta : Bengal

Green tea is rich in polyphenol antioxidants, which are believed to help protect against cancer and heart disease. A study from China has reported beneficial associations between regular consumption of green tea and colorectal cancer risk. The disease affects around a million people worldwide and is linked to poor eating habits, low levels of physical activity, and ageing populations.

A cohort of 70,000 Chinese women aged 40 to 70 years was followed for 6 years, during which time 256 cases of colorectal cancer were recorded. Baseline dietary habits were then correlated with cancer risk in order to identify potentially protective foods and beverages.

Regular consumption of green tea was associated with a 37% reduction in colorectal cancer risk. There was a dose response relationship in that the clearest benefits were seen in those who consumed the most tea and for the greatest number of years. While the study focussed only on associations, it backs up other research pointing to the significant protective attributes of green tea polyphenols, e.g. epigallocatechin gallate and epicatechin.

link

Because of “excessive liquidity”, or too much cash in circulation and in people’s hands, not only stocks and housing but some unusual commodities can easily become items for speculation in today’s China.

Pu’er tea, a fully fermented variety made from sun-dried leaves, has taken a roller-coaster ride since the beginning of this year.

Pu’er tea is reputed to help people lose weight. Some people believe it can even prevent and cure cancer.

Many kinds of Chinese tea are best for consumption when they are fresh. Pu’er tea is different. The longer is it properly stored, the better its quality and taste (and supposedly its curative properties). Hence the price of older Pu’er is higher than the fresh ones. Such features make Pu’er a potential item for speculation.

The popularity in Pu’er tea has been on the rise in China since 2004, and the prices grew steadily until last year, with annual increases of 30%.

“Since the beginning of this year, the price of Pu’er has soared, reaching its peak in May at 20 times higher than last year’s price. In terms of returns, Pu’er is a better investment than stocks or gold, isn’t it?” a tea collector in Guangzhou said.
“In the first four months of this year, the price of Pu’er rose three- to fourfold. That included fresh Pu’er that was marketed only last October; its price grew by 80%, to 1,600 yuan per kilogram from 900 yuan,” the man said. “So although the prices of the Pu’er tea dropped suddenly early this month, many still believe it’s only a matter of time before interest in the tea becomes stronger again.”

link

Taking commuters’ interest into count, senior superintendent of police M.S. Bhatia has relaxed the deadline for shutting tea and betel kiosks dotting the railway stations and bus stands. But there is no respite for the shop owners in other parts of the city.

After the relaxation, tea and betel stall owners near stations and bus stands can run business till late in the night.

Bhatia said that the relaxation was given keeping the commuters’ interest in mind.

“We realised that tea stalls near bus stands and railway stations are of help to commuters. Their owners give the outsiders an idea of the place they want to go,” Bhatia said.

The tea stall owners near the stations and bus stands welcomed the relaxation order. “After this order, I have decided not to leave the city. The situation had become so tough for me after the early closure diktat that I had almost made up my mind to leave the capital,” said Bajrangi, a tea stall owner near Kanta Toli Bus stand.

But a section of shopkeepers is still cut up with Bhatia.

“Had Bhatia known my history, he would have realised my problem. People know my shop opens in the afternoon and runs till late in the night. After the city police restrained me from opening my shop after 11pm, I am incurring loses of Rs 500 every day,” said a betel shop in the hub of the city, away from the stations and bus stands

A tea stall owner on Main Road, taking strong exception to the ban, said: “It was wrong to think that only anti-social elements come out of their houses after 11pm.”

link

Last September when Tata Tea met analysts to discuss their $677 million Glaceau acquisition, bottles of Himalayan mineral water on the dais were hurriedly replaced with Glaceau’s Vitamin Water. Himalayan could be back on stage tomorrow when Tata Tea meets the media to announce its March quarter and annual results. The Tata Tea board meeting tomorrow is expected to pass a resolution for the Mount Everest (Himalayan’s parent) acquisition.

A week after Tata Tea’s exit from Glaceau, in a $1.2 billion stake sale to Coca-Cola, unconfirmed reports said that Tata Tea is likely to pick up 42 per cent in Mount Everest Mineral Water. Owned by NRI Dadi Balsara, Mount Everest is reportedly offloading 11 per cent stake to Tata Tea at Rs 145-150 per share. As of December 31, 2006, promoters held 21.53 per cent stake in Mount Everest.

The remaining stake will be purchased by Tata Tea through an open offer. The deal is expected to cost Tata Tea roughly Rs 250 crore — roughly one-tenth of the profits that the Tatas made through the Glaceau stake sale. The Tatas are also expected to get management control after the acquisition.

A Tata Tea spokesperson said the company would not comment on market speculation. Mount Everest executives could not be reached for comment. Last week, when Tata Tea Vice-Chairman RK Krishnakumar was speaking to the media, he did not deny that the Tatas were in talks to acquire Himalayan. When asked about how soon would Tata Tea make its next acquisition, Krishnakumar half-jokingly said, “we would like to announce a deal tomorrow.”

link

Herbal agents could be used to treat inflammatory bladder diseases, according to a preliminary study that looked at the ability of green tea to protect bladder cells from inflammation. The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine study, presented at the annual meeting of the American Urological Association (AUA) in Anaheim, Calif., found that components of green tea protected bladder cells from damage in culture. The study is Abstract 299 in the AUA proceedings.

Green tea, reported to have many health benefits, is rich in powerful antioxidants that make it a possible remedy for many medical conditions. It is comprised of catechins - plant metabolites that provide it with many anti-oxidative properties.

“We discovered that catechins found in green tea protected both normal and cancerous bladder cells from inflammation when we exposed the cells to hydrogen peroxide,” said Michael B. Chancellor, M.D., professor of urology and gynecology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. “Although further studies are needed, these results indicate herbal supplements from green tea could be a treatment option for various bladder conditions that are caused by injury or inflammation.”

In the study, normal and cancerous bladder cells were exposed to two major catechin components of green tea, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and epicatechin gallate (ECG), for 23 hours. Both significantly protected cell lines from exposure to hydrogen peroxide, which damages or kills cells. The concentrations of EGCG and ECG used in the study were at levels that may be achieved through dietary intake.

link

Wednesday 23rd of May 2007 A dead leopard was found in a tea estate near Siliguri in West Bengal, triggering concern over the rising man-animal conflict due to rapid urbanisation in north Bengal.

A full-grown leopard was found dead inside the Phulbari-Patan tea estate area in Siliguri Tuesday. It presumably died from poisoning as no external injury marks were found on its body, said forest department officials.

Local newspaper reports quoted forest department officials of north Bengal as saying that the leopard was about 10 years old.

Reacting to the unnatural death of the leopard, West Bengal forest minister Ananta Roy ordered an inquiry. ‘We are suspecting several reasons but that can be only confirmed after the post mortem,’ Sukana forest’s assistant divisional forest officer Niranjita Mitra pointed out.

‘In last one year, we have registered five unnatural death cases of leopards in north Bengal. The problem has become prevalent over a period of last two decades due to the rapid urbanisation in Siliguri tea estate areas,’ Animesh Basu, Siliguri based wildlife society Himalayan Nature and Adventure Foundation (HNAF), told IANS.

Basu said it is well known that leopards come to the tea estate areas during the breeding time.

‘The tea garden lanes are peaceful and covered with shrub that helps leopards for rearing their newborns. But in last few years, the overall population has increased in north Bengal, especially encircling the tea gardens,’ Basu said.

link

Technology, rot and now fire have caught up with the Cutty Sark, the graceful clipper ship built in the 19th century to speed fresh tea from China to Britain’s tables.

After a quick look at the charred hull in Greenwich, England, custodians of the world’s only surviving tea clipper said yesterday it could still be made as good as new - by adding millions more to a restoration project already costing $50 million.

The Cutty Sark, which inspired a popular brand of Scotch, was the world’s only surviving example of an extreme clipper, regarded as the ultimate merchant sailing vessel.

link