FrieslandCampina Kievit, one of the leading global manufacturers of beverage and food ingredients, published results of a study that analyzes the perfect milk teas as well as current offerings in the milk tea segment across Greater China.
The study, part of a large-scale effort to provide customers with sensory data on the ever-growing Chinese beverage market, looks at what is inside milk tea and identifies individual elements that make up the perfect, consumer-preferred milk tea in different regions. With these findings, FrieslandCampina Kievit customers have access to data on key elements to combine, at the appropriate intensities, to create the perfect milk tea for their local consumers.
As the world’s leading hot drinks market, specifically when it comes to tea, the importance of the Chinese market cannot be overstated. The driver of that market’s continued growth is the rise of consumer disposable income[1]. This demand is unlikely to slow down, with China’s projected market size for the coming few years estimated at well over 10 billion USD[2].
FrieslandCampina’s research points to several findings to help customers create the perfect milk tea.
Serving a market the size of China with one type of milk tea is not viable. Consumers have different preferences per region. When looking at how consumers experience their ideal taste for milk teas, they can recognize differences in milk teas, but have a harder time identifying which specific elements are dissimilar.
To understand the makeup of the ideal milk teas per region, the study broke down individual elements in the most popular milk teas and compared them to products that are currently offered in the market. The result is a perfect harmonization of completely irresistible flavors.
Milkiness
In the Chengdu region, consumers show a preference for an intense milk taste. However, the current offerings in the market typically consist of a medium milk intensity. This gap presents a clear opportunity for customers to tap into.
Tea Taste
Across greater China, black tea is the standard tea base for milk teas. The study shows that other types of tea see polarizing reactions, when using green tea for example. Knowing where it is liked and disliked gives customers the obvious benefit of enabling new milk tea development or adapting current milk tea offerings to match differing consumer tastes.
Sweetness Levels
From the research, it appears that consumers in Chengdu prefer a sweeter taste that ranges from very intense to medium intense. Yet, milk teas with medium intensity sweetness are currently largely what is sold in the market.
Other elements such as the right mouthfeel also make a difference.
FrieslandCampina Kievit’s portfolio for greater China includes unique ingredients that tap into these consumer preferences, examples include the Kievit classic creamer, which Chinese customers have used for nearly fifteen years. Another is the Vana®-Lata FM870, which addresses the clean label trend and the Vana®-Blanca M480, which includes a unique caramel flavor.
Research combined with Kievit’s unique ingredients enables customers to create the perfect Chengdu, Guangzhou and Taiwanese milk teas, among others. Want to find out more? Contact FrieslandCampina Kievit for more information at www.kievit.com
FrieslandCampina Kievit exhibited at the Shanghai Hotelex, from April 1-4, 2019.
About the Study:
FrieslandCampina Kievit’s has conducted extensive research in five key regions of greater China: Chengdu, Guangzhou, Taiwan, Wuhan and Shanghai. More than 100 products from multiple leading brands were examined in a variety of sensory focus groups that consisted of consumers on the one hand and in-house and external milk tea experts on the other.
Royal FrieslandCampina N.V.
Every day FrieslandCampina provides millions of consumers all over the world with food that is rich in valuable nutrients. With annual revenue of 11.3 billion euro FrieslandCampina is one of the world’s six largest dairy companies.
FrieslandCampina supplies consumer products such as dairy-based beverages, infant nutrition, cheese and desserts in many European countries, in Asia and in Africa. Products are also supplied to professional customers, including cream and butter products to bakeries and catering companies. FrieslandCampina also supplies ingredients and half-finished products to manufacturers of infant nutrition, the food industry and the pharmaceutical sector around the world.
FrieslandCampina has offices in 32 countries and employs a total of about 22,000 people. FrieslandCampina’s products find their way to more than 100 countries. The Company’s central office is in Amersfoort. FrieslandCampina’s activities are divided into four market-oriented business groups: Consumer Products Europe, Middle East & Africa; Consumer Products Asia; Cheese, Butter & Milkpowder and Ingredients. The Company is fully owned by Zuivelcoöperatie FrieslandCampina U.A, with over 19,000 member dairy farmers in the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium, one of the world’s largest dairy cooperatives.
For more information please visit: www.frieslandcampina.com.
FrieslandCampina Kievit
FrieslandCampina Kievit B.V., with its registered office in Amersfoort, The Netherlands, is a subsidiary of Royal FrieslandCampina N.V. With more than 125 years of experience, FrieslandCampina Kievit is a renowned partner for beverages and food manufacturers across the globe. The company offers a comprehensive range of solutions with a portfolio of powdered creamers, foaming creamers, fat powders, whipping agents, cake emulsifiers and micro-encapsulates, with a focus on premium quality coffee, tea and food applications. Working closely in partnership with our customers, FrieslandCampina Kievit offers the right solution for each specific application.
For more information: www.kievit.com.
