Ready-to-drink herbal beverage attracts younger generation
When New Concept Product in Thailand wanted to expand its business, they teamed up with Tetra Pak to launch a new ginger drink for on-the-go consumption.
Ginger tea is a well-known drink in southeast Asia. It’s served hot and is a spicy and invigorating caffeine-free alternative to black tea or coffee. Sometimes labelled as “superfood”, ginger has proven health benefits when taken regularly.
One of the most famous ginger drink brands in Thailand is HOTTA, made by Bangkok-based New Concept Product Co., Ltd (NCP). Competition is fierce, but the company is the market leader of powder-based ginger drinks in Thailand.
From powder to ready drink
A ginger drink product is generally sold in powder format. The consumer adds hot water to prepare the ginger tea drink. But what if NCP could transform the powder into a ready drink and sell it in a convenient on-the-go carton package? That might catch the interest of a new and younger generation in healthy ginger drink products. This idea came up when the company met with world-leading food processing and packaging solutions company Tetra Pak. If successful, the launch of ready-to-drink ginger products would be a clever move, enabling NCP to maintain its market-leading position and at the same time increase volumes without having to cannibalise existing sales. NCP decided to create a ready-to-drink ginger beverage to be served cold. Two variants were formulated from the authentic ginger aged 11-12 months, rich in gingerol, a chemical compound found in fresh ginger, that has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. One with manuka honey from New Zealand and another with lime juice.
Package for a modern lifestyle
For the first time, NCP decided to distribute its product in a Tetra Pak carton package for the ready-to-drink category. The chosen package is the Tetra Prisma® Aseptic 250 Edge DreamCap™ 26. It is an attractive carton package that is easy to grip, and offers a convenient size with a re-sealable one-step closure, which makes the drinking experience comfortable. The octagonal package has a modern look, which sets itself apart on the shop shelves. Its eight sides reflect a unique brand identity that will draw consumers’ attention. Also, another plus is that the package is environmentally sound, being mostly made of paperboard from FSC™ certified forests and other controlled sources. Packages can be collected and recycled, where waste management and recycling infrastructure are in place.
With Tetra Pak’s high-standard aseptic technology and light-oxygen barriers of aseptic packaging, the new drinks fully maintain their properties during transportation and storage. The technology keeps all the nutrients in the package safe for a year without the use of any preservatives, including the important gingerol. Consumers will get all the nutrients in every drop of consumption.
Besides the innovative carton package, Tetra Pak’s solution contains a practical production line, including a Tetra Pak® Aseptic Tank and a Tetra Pak® Homogenizer (non-aseptic) as well as a filling machine, the Tetra Pak® A3/CompactFlex.
Rising health awareness
With the covid-19 pandemic, the regular Thai consumer has become much more health conscious, looking for immunity-promoting products in a larger extent than before.
“Our research shows that consumers are now interested more than ever in products which offer additional health benefits,” confirms Ratanasiri Tilokskulchai, Managing Director of Tetra Pak Thailand. The new products were officially launched nationwide in Thailand in February 2022 and are sold in supermarkets, convenience stores and online.
“We are thrilled to launch HOTTA Cool drinks in the new Tetra Pak UHT packaging, offering good health in convenient, on-the-go ginger products for the young generation of consumers who need healthy, delicious drinks with benefits for boosting their immune system anytime, anywhere,” Kanchana Bamrungkit says.
Thailand’s ginger giant
For more than three decades, New Concept Product Co., Ltd. has produced ginger-based products for the Thai market. The company is a leading health and herbal products manufacturer in Thailand, and two of its most well-known brands are HOTTA and FITNÉ. NCP’s head office is located in Bangkok and the production site is in Chonburi.
