Reaching Beyond Wholesale

We have mostly described Kopius Teas as a resource for resellers, that is wholesalers and distributors who purchase our bulk teas for resale. In reality, our market also includes institutional food service and federal, state and local governments who may use our bulk teas, herbs and spices for culinary and quick service dining. Some of our core capabilities in this area include the following:

1. Bulk tea bags. We can now produce food service, bulk pyramid tea bags directly in our facility. The advantage of this step is the avoidance of shipping charges to a third party for packaging. Our clients select their teas, the weight per tea bag, and the number of total tea bags. The pyramid bags are manufactured and bagged in bulk (without wrappers) and sent directly to our clients.

Not only is this helpful in reducing the carbon footprint for individual wrappers, but it also gives our clients the flexibility to take a single order of pyramid tea bags and use them in a combination of retail repackaging, wholesale distribution, and food service tea preparation.

2. Pre-packed institutional pouches. Food service bulk distribution of loose tea need not carry the same polish as finished, retail packaging. We have many coffee roasters and tea distributors who simply want 1-2 lb bags of bulk tea labeled with the name of the product, lot number, date, and weight. This goes on generic packaging, which is often less expensive than pre-printed foils. We offer this as a more cost effective way to ship volumes of tea to different elements of the distribution channel.

3. Filter and cello tea packs for iced tea. Iced tea continues to be the most popular form of tea consumption in the US. We can manufacture 1 - 3 oz bags of tea for use in automated iced tea brewing machines, such as Fedco, Curtis, and Bunn. 1 oz typically produces 1 gallon of iced tea.

4. Formulation services. All of the above can begin with our formulation services which are specially designed to create a finished product that has a predetermined leaf appearance, taste, texture, color and price. Whether we are designing an artisan blend with flowers, fruit, tea and spices, or a simple tea bag cut blend for high volume, low cost targets, our master blenders devote significant energy towards constructing a recipe that is both consistent and scalable.

Optional formulation considerations include ingredients that are Organic, Fair Trade, Biodyamic, and Rain Forrest Alliance certified.

5. Documentation. We continue to see greater demand among our larger buyers for documentation of quality and food handling. This includes Certificates of Analysis, Product Specifications, and sometimes third party laboratory testing.

Kopius Teas can now accept GSA Smartpay and GSA Smartpay 2 credit cards with the VISA or Mastercard logo. We continue to support federal, state, and local governments with the ability to conveniently purchase our products in bulk or tea bag formats. Kopius Teas is registered as a Certified Small Business by the United States Small Business Administration and the State of California. Government institutions and Prime Vendors are invited to contact us for a formal capabilities statement, including potential bids for subcontracting of GSA or non-GSA procurement.

Yame Matcha (new!)

Today we are announcing a new variety of matcha - Yame Matcha from Japan's southern island of Kyushu. This matcha features a vivid, bright, natural green matcha tea at an affordable price. To ensure freshness, the matcha is packaged in 30 gram sealed canister.

Matcha is extremely healthy. When you make a fresh bowl, you are consuming all the goodness of the entire tea leaf, and not just those antioxidants which dissolve in water.

To make matcha, place about 2 grams into a bowl or cup. Add hot water. Traditionally the beverage is made by creating a tea suspension with a bamboo whisk (see left), but you can also blend by hand with a spoon or whisk. A good quality bowl of matcha ready to serve is shown above.



You can also add matcha to your favorite smoothie or dessert recipe. In fact, we went to dinner to a sushi restaurant where they offered matcha salt!

We recommend you store opened matcha tightly sealed in the refrigerator to preserve freshness. The matcha will begin to clump as it gets repeatedly exposed to cold and warm temperatures, so it is best to limit exposure at room temperature. Typically we just scoop what we need and quickly return the matcha back to the refrigerator. Some retailers sell matcha sifters to help disperse the matcha back to a fine powder - particularly useful if you are having a hard time whisking a proper bowl.

In our retail store, people have told us matcha helps them concentrate better (for poker and studying), become more regular in their metabolism, and generally feel much healthier than drinking coffee.

Kopius Teas offers Yame Matcha in your choice of :

• TeaSentials retail ready tins
• Private label tins
• Unlabeled tins

Food Labeling Guide

Ever wonder what's actually required on the outside of package of food sold in the US? The best resource is to check out the FDA's website on labeling and nutrition. Some text is in the form of requirements, other text is in the form of guidelines. A lot of the thinking for such "rules" is food safety and consumer protection. By having a more accurate description of the product, consumers are able to shop with greater confidence, particularly when comparison shopping. It's funny how marketers are smart to capture your focus and attention with colors, fonts, graphics and more. Whatever the design, the final product label should be consistent with the above regulations and guidelines for food labeling.

Within the FDA's site is a section Food Labeling Guide. I think the biggest mistake people make for packaging tea is probably not knowing about the very basics - General Food Labeling Requirements. That is, people forget the simple things such as ingredients, weight, manufacturer name & address. Note that the labeling requirements are specific when defining placement of this information on a food label.

Another good section to keep in mind is the food allergens statement. See the FDA's Guidance for Industry: Questions and Answers.

Lastly, if you're going to be selling your product internationally, be sure to review labeling requirements of these other countries. For example, certain parts of your statements may need to appear in more than one language.

With a bit of planning, you can save yourself the headache of having to reprint labels or canisters. You know the labeling game...the first several thousand cost per label is extremely high and then it ramps down quite quickly with quantity.

The more standardized the labels, even across food categories, the easier it will be for consumers to quickly locate the information that is relevant to their purchasing decision, whether it is for health or curiosity reasons.

Manufacturing Your Own Brand of Certified Organic Teas

Organic production is a system that is managed in accordance with the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA) of 1990 and regulations in Title 7, Part 205 of the Code of Federal Regulations to respond to site-specific conditions by integrating cultural, biological, and mechanical practices that foster cycling of resources, promote ecological balance, and conserve biodiversity. The National Organic Program (NOP) develops, implements, and administers national production, handling, and labeling standards.

Clients call us every day to ask how they can have their own brand of teas packaged with the USDA Organic Seal on the outside. The first thing I mention is that use of the Organic Seal is not only an indication of a product that was grown organically, but that the product has continued to be handled and processed through the supply chain in accordance with CFR Title 7, Part 205.

To ensure compliance, wholesalers, distributors, and retailers will contract with a certifying agent who will conduct the necessary reviews, inspections and reports. If you intend to physically handle organic products and marketing them with the USDA Seal, I strongly suggest you speak with a consultant who can help you prepare an Organic System Plan. Consultants in this area can also help you plan and allocate resources, as the responsibility for compliance continues without interruption throughout the year.

A faster, more streamlined approach to offering certified organic products is to establish a contract with a packer, sometimes referred to as a co-packer, that already participates in the National Organic Program. They will be very familiar with organic standards, can facilitate filing of required documents, and will physically pack your tea into retail ready boxes, canisters, and foils. In a nutshell, the process is simpler because in the end you are handling the finished goods just like a retail shopper. Should you choose this route, do your homework and make sure the packer you choose is currently in good standing with the National Organic Program and that their license has not been surrendered, suspended, or revoked.

Still interested? Here are some good reference materials to start with:

Organic Products and Labeling

Organic Processors, Handlers & Distributors (courtesy of Oregon Tilth)

List of Domestic Approved Accredited Agents 

If you are looking to market your organic products internationally, your packaging will need to adhere to the requirements (including written language) of these other countries.

List of Foreign Accredited Agents

Your local state may also have their own State Organic Program (SOP) which you should research in addition to the above.

Lastly, it is possible through your review of the above regulations to think this is your only responsibility in terms of package labeling. Of course, this is not the case. More on this next time...

Ron

Custom proprietary blends

Customers starting a new internet tea business often wish to build their own identity through packaging tea with their own logo and designs. This process falls directly in line with our bulk tea shipments, which are delivered in large, heat sealed bags. Our customers generally repackage our products into smaller retail canisters and pouches for resale.

But how does one go about extending brand identity through proprietary formulations? For example, if you want to create your own tea blend that no one else offers, how can you initiate this?

For new e-retailers, my recommendation is to consider working with a series of preblended stock teas and tisanes first. Get to know your clients needs and use their input to formulate a new, signature blend. There's really no need to start blending teas from your first day of business. At Kopius Teas and other wholesalers, there are many choices for preblended teas. In most cases, these teas have already some level of established acceptance in the marketplace. Furthermore, the variety and ability to order fresh teas in small quantities can be quite a time saver.

When the time is right (ie when you are consistently reselling a nice volume of product), then you can speak with a contract blender to fine tune a new blend that best complements your existing menu. Equally important, you will have greater confidence that this custom blend will sell rapidly. Maybe you can even progress to selling this blend at wholesale prices yourself.

OneStep Private Label Tea Bags

We have made a minor change to the dimensions of the OneStep Private Label design specifications. The labels are now slightly longer and extend to the bottom of the canister for a more polished look.

Specifications are available by clicking here.

Pyramid Tea Bags

We just added photos of the pyramid tea bags with white tag and string. We were reminded of how elegant these bags are and how they can make such a nice, see-through presentation of loose leaf tea. Quite elegant and convenient. As a reminder, we sell these tea bags in bulk for quick service restaurants and private label packaging for gifts and gift baskets.

Berry Rooibos Pyramid Tea Bag

OneStep Video

View our OneStep Private Label Program Introduction