OAKLAND, Calif., Jan. 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Numi Organic Tea, an award-winning social enterprise, founding B Corporation member, and leading purchaser of organic, Fair Trade Certified™ teas, today introduced two new products, Sweet Slumber and Drinking Chocolates, in time for the 2020 Winter Fancy Food Show. Along with the new products, Numi revealed its new plant-based packaging as well as a brand refresh featuring a bright, bold, ingredients-focused look.
“Our new packaging is more eco-friendly than ever with the launch of our new, plant-based tea wrappers. We still use 90 percent post-consumer waste paper cartons, soy-based inks, and biodegradable Manila hemp tea bags, as we’ve done for the past 20 years,” explained Reem Hassani, Numi Co-Founder and Chief Brand Officer. “Equally important is the new brand refresh, featuring package imagery and typography that engage our consumers in a way that’s relevant, inclusive and hopeful. Each side of the carton tells a different story—from our ingredients to our Foundation. We want to bring more people in to join our movement for a better world.”
The new tea wrappers represent a project ten years in the making in collaboration with OSC2 Packaging Collaborative, which was co-founded by Numi CEO Ahmed Rahim. With its new plant-based overwrap, Numi has subverted the packaging industry’s status quo. The new wrapper features a thin, Non-GMO PLA layer made from renewable sugarcane, and 100% FSC certified paper, which guarantees no eco-toxicity when it breaks down. The plant-based wrapper requires less carbon to produce than traditional plastic, and is made from renewable resources, which reduces reliance on fossil fuels. This project has opened pathways into a fossil fuel-free future while paving the way for other brands that can benefit from increased access to plant-based flexible film.
Numi also introduced two new drinks that move the brand squarely into the wellness and functionality markets. Sweet Slumber is a new tea featuring a dreamy blend of sweet flowers and potent valerian root that relieves stress and inspires rest and relaxation. The low-sugar, paleo-friendly, gluten free line of Drinking Chocolates, which are crafted from pure organic cacao blended with organic cocoa butter, are available in four SKUs: Touch of Chili, Dash of Salt, Kick of Mocha, and Shroom Power. Numi will be sampling the new products at Booth 5783 at the Winter Fancy Food Show. Members of the press can schedule one-on-one tastings by contacting Molly Antos at molly@dadascope.com.
“Numi has always been committed to the wellness of our customers, and that’s why we’re happy to announce these new products that cater to specific emotional and physical health needs,” said Ahmed Rahim, CEO and Co-Founder of Numi Organic Tea. “A recent report from Gallup showed that the majority of Americans experience stress during the day, and consumers are seeking easy, safe solutions to counter their stress. Ingredients like valerian root, lavender, and chamomile continue to trend and grow in popularity given their natural, effective relief from stress, anxiety, and insomnia. That’s why we’ve included these ingredients in Sweet Slumber, which can help people to calm down and sleep soundly at the end of the day.”
Sweet Slumber features a variety of herbal ingredients for a calming bedtime experience, including Numi’s Fair Trade Certified™ chamomile flower sourced from tea farms in Faiyum, Egypt, valerian root, shown in several studies to improve the ability to achieve high-quality sleep without grogginess, hop flowers, lavender flower, and lemon balm leaf. Sweet Slumber will be available in February 2020 and retail for $6.99 for a 16-count box on numitea.com. Sweet Slumber is organic, caffeine-free, Non-GMO Verified, and made with Fair Trade Certified™ ingredients.
“People are also looking for a delicious, decadent treat that doesn’t compromise their health and instead might actually enhance it,” continued Rahim. “This is part of the reason that cocoa and drinking chocolate are quickly emerging as a major trend in the US, approaching $1B in revenue in 2019. Our new Drinking Chocolates can satisfy a sweet tooth with a low-sugar treat rich in cacao, a true superfood with ingredients containing more antioxidants than blueberries.”
Drinking Chocolates feature organic ingredients such as cacao, vanilla bean, cayenne, chaga mushroom powder, and cinnamon for an indulgent-yet-functional drink. Drinking Chocolates will be available in July 2020 and retail for $9.99 a 6.3-ounce pouch on numitea.com. They are organic, vegan, low sugar, paleo friendly, gluten free, Non-GMO Verified, and made with Fair Trade Certified™ cocoa.
Numi marked its shift from tea to wellness with the introduction of its award-winning Daily Super Shots last year. With the introduction of Sweet Slumber and Drinking Chocolates, the company demonstrates its commitment to innovation in response to consumer demand for functional, better-for-you beverages.
During the Winter Fancy Food Show, Numi will host and participate in a variety of events that attendees and the media are invited to:
- Chocolate and Tea Pairing Education Session Sunday, January 19th, 10am-10:40am (Chocolate Pavilion Moscone Center, second floor) — Guided by two experts from Numi and the Fine Chocolate Industry Association (FCIA), learn about the growing regions of tea and chocolate around the world, Fair Trade sourcing, and supply chain transparency while tasting carefully crafted artisan tea and chocolate. For more info, visit the SFA website.
- Sweet Slumber Wellness Happy Hour Sunday, January 19th, 4-5 pm (Booth 5783) — Treat yourself to a relaxing chair massage while sipping Numi’s new Sweet Slumber tea and Immune Defense, a signature blend of spicy cayenne pepper and fresh pomegranate juice.
- Drinking Chocolate Wellness Happy Hour Monday, January 20th, 4-5 pm (Booth 5783) — Another chance to unwind with a chair massage while sampling Numi’s new Drinking Chocolates and Chocolate Spirit, a drink featuring Numi’s latest innovation, Dash of Salt Drinking Chocolate.
NUMI ORGANIC TEA
Founded in 1999 by brother and sister Ahmed Rahim and Reem Rahim, Numi Organic Tea is an award-winning social enterprise, founding B Corporation member, and leading purchaser of organic, Fair Trade teas distributed in more than 50 countries. Still family-owned and headquartered in Oakland, California, Numi supports community development projects both locally and internationally that create lasting positive impacts for people and the Earth. To date, Numi has contributed more than $1 million in Fair Trade Premiums in its tea farming communities. Numi’s Fair Trade and Fair Labor commitments have helped sponsor schools, hospitals, community centers, road construction and other improvements for living standards. Through plant-based and sustainable packaging, carbon offsets, and regenerative organic agriculture, Numi strives to protect the planet for generations to come.
To learn more, visit NumiTea.com and follow Numi at Instagram.com/NumiOrganicTea, Facebook.com/NumiTea, Pinterest.com/NumiTea and Twitter.com/NumiTea.
Contact: Numi Public Relations
Molly Antos
T: (847) 848-2090
numi-pr@dadascope.com
Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:
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