danielkoby

[danielkoby]

Why the restaurant industry should increase consideration into value of their tea offerings

Tea has possessed a ubiquitous status in our global society for hundreds of years, and for good reason. Its ability to optimally hydrate, soothe and revitalize our body, all while having an incredible variety and flavor, is unparalleled to this day. Despite this prevalence of tea within our culture and everyday life, there is a tremendous disparity in the recognition of its true value amongst various segments of society. Particularly unfortunate, is the vast lack of tea recognition in the food service industry. In the currently existent food service industry, tea is largely present as a beverage offering, however, frequently this presence is significantly overlooked. Moreover, tea offerings in restaurants routinely take the form of only one menu item, often nothing more than just the word “tea”, which is quite dismissive of the diversity of tea and not to mention, its sacred place in society. As mentioned during an online seminar with tea expert, Shabnam Weber, tea is often one of the least considered beverage items on a beverage menu, of a wide spectrum of restaurant types all the way from fast casual to fine dining (S. Weber, 2020). Frequently, this is due to it being added to a menu as an afterthought, and simply to fulfill the occasional requests from diners for tea. Additionally, thanks to the considerably long shelf life as well as the relatively cheap cost, businesses require little effort and attention to store tea, being able to essentially keep it backed up at all times. 

The predominant manner in which restaurants disregard tea that they offer is by not recognizing the incredible variety of tea. As further discussed with Shabnam Weber, a majority of restaurants will offer at least a few different selections of coffee beverages to choose from (i.e.; espresso, latte, black etc.) whilst in the case of tea there is typically little to no variety in selections (S. Weber, 2020). When taking into account the fact that tea and coffee as a raw product are both innately one plant, as well as their comparable omni-presence in society, it is evident that the variety of tea selections on restaurant menus is an overlooked factor. Furthermore, all tea (of a true non-herbal type) is prepared from the leaves of the same exact plant, “Camellia Sinensis”, however this by no means is representative of the final tea product which has an enormous variety. The consumer market of tea has always been very prevalent, with consumers frequently buying a variety of teas from the specialty tea shops, grocery stores and cafes (Statista, n.d). This makes it clear that consumers are very much interested and regularly in demand for different tea varieties and moreover, that the lack of offerings in restaurants which has been commonplace for so long, has simply been something they have accepted. 

As discussed in the online seminar, diversity of tea is enabled by a sheer multitude of factors of variation within two fundamental aspects of tea production which will be examined, being terroir and processing (S. Weber, 2020). Firstly, the terroir plays a pivotal role in the final qualities present in the harvested leaves. As described by Shabnam Weber, aspects of the terroir like soil chemistry, climate, and elevation all can have noticeable implications on the growth of the Camellia Sinensis plant (S. Weber, 2020). Subsequently, this may lead to variation in the chemical make-up of the leaves including the likes of polyphenols, phytonutrients, vitamins and volatile compounds which may impact not only the flavors/aromas of the final tea but even the nutritional composition (Lee, J. E.2010). Secondly, processing of the harvested tea leaves has by far the greatest implication on final qualities of the tea. There are a plethora of impactful factors in this regard such as the fermentation, the degree of oxidation and roasting of tea leaves (S. Weber, 2020). Variance in the degree of oxidation leads to drastic difference in the final brewed tea, as with an increased degree of oxidation, the tea obtains a more pungent flavor due to greater tannin presence (S. Weber, 2020). Additionally, an increased degree of oxidation leads to a darker color of the tea which can be attributed to the manipulation of polyphenols and chlorophyll (Anesini, C. 2008). Roasting of tea leaves most notably impacts the flavor of the final brewed tea as observed during the tea tasting as part of the online seminar (S. Weber, 2020). In this tasting two samples of green tea were evaluated, with one being a Chinese roasted variety, and the other being a Japanese un-roasted variety. The Chinese variety had a noticeably more robust flavor profile, with toasty and earthy notes whilst the Japanese variety had a clean, herbal flavor profile just as would be seen in a typical Japanese/sushi restaurant. Further, there were noticeable differences in color, with the Chinese, toasted variety having a slightly darker, light amber hue compared to the light green hue of the Japanese, untoasted variety. Although when comparing the light amber color of the Chinese green tea to the darkness of the black tea (which is significantly more oxidized in addition to being roasted), it is evident that oxidation of the tea leaves has a greater impact on color as opposed to simply roasting (S. Weber, 2020). 

When considering the incredible variance that tea possesses, along with the wide recognition and reverence of the diversity of its flavors amongst consumers, it is clear that tea carries untapped potential for restaurants. This is apparent as restaurants have the opportunity to increase sales & revenue simply by increasing their consideration of the variety of tea offerings on their menu which in turn will provide consumers with increased value perception of the tea being offered.  Thus, the previously untapped consumer segment of tea drinkers who didn’t bother getting tea at restaurants due to the lack of variety, now very likely may do so. Additionally, in the case of upscale dining restaurants and especially those with tasting menus, a noteworthy opportunity of accommodating non-drinkers in a similar fashion as wine/cocktail pairings exists. In fact this has already been implemented in select restaurants around the world, however very few of these are in North America. Not only is this feasible with the realm of ‘true teas’ with the aforementioned variance in terroir and processing leading to a vast diversity in flavors, but also the inclusion of herbal teas can facilitate a truly remarkable experience for the consumer who can enjoy the same level complexity and engagement during their meal as those with alcohol pairings.

Lee, J. E., Lee, B. J., Chung, J. O., Hwang, J. A., Lee, S. J., Lee, C. H., & Hong, Y. S. (2010). Geographical and climatic dependencies of green tea (Camellia sinensis) metabolites: a 1H NMR-based metabolomics study. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry, 58(19), 10582-10589.

Kim, Y., Goodner, K. L., Park, J. D., Choi, J., & Talcott, S. T. (2011). Changes in antioxidant phytochemicals and volatile composition of Camellia sinensis by oxidation during tea fermentation. Food Chemistry, 129(4), 1331-1342.

Anesini, C., Ferraro, G. E., & Filip, R. (2008). Total polyphenol content and antioxidant capacity of commercially available tea (Camellia sinensis) in Argentina. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry, 56(19), 9225-9229.

Statista. (n.d.). Topic: Tea market in Canada. Retrieved November 10, 2020, from https://www.statista.com/topics/5237/tea-market-in-canada/

S. Weber, online class seminar (2020, October 20)

[danielkoby]

The Bottled Water Industry is deceiving us: 

     How it is inexcusable & Why you should care

Over recent decades, the bottled water industry has attained a dominating position in the Canadian Retail Market, with national sales in 2017 at 2.5 billion dollars (Globe & Mail, 2017). Evidently, as the vast majority of Canadians have access to drinking water via tap, that is diligently sourced, processed and inspected, this immediately raises skepticism for many on how the bottled water industry has reached the dominance it has. Such a suspicion clearly may be considered legitimate, as not only is Canadian sourced water prevalent and globally recognized for its great quality, but it is also a fundamental human right (UN-Water, n.d.; Fraser Institute, 2018) However, simply put, the prominence that the bottled water industry possesses, is likely a direct consequence of the consumerism oriented society we live in. Furthermore, consumerism is ubiquitous in North America, where the enormous demand for bottled water subsequently facilitates this industry’s completely justifiable capitalization in this regard. As the issue of the bottled water industry’s omnipresence may very well be considered a product of consumerism, it is understandable that it is an incredibly multifaceted issue, entailing bottled waters’ deep integration within western culture and way of life. Ultimately, this would render it unreasonable to place blame on the bottled water industry, under these factors - but when supplemented with various forms of deception and misleading of consumers, it is clear that they are at fault.

It is apparent that consumers in Canada have been subject to major influence by the hands of the bottled water industry. One of the most distinct examples of this can be seen with the misleading effects of the word “pure”. Featured on numerous bottled water labels over the years, the word “pure” has misled consumers by leading them to interpret this word as indicative of the waters’ healthiest and absolute highest quality standard. As given by Merriam Webster, the definition of “pure” is “unmixed with any other matter” which is clearly distinct from anything related to the health of a product (Merriam-Webster n.d.). In the case of bottled water, producers are in effect, exploiting the lack of knowledge the majority of consumers have on water composition and subsequent health implications, essentially creating a false new meaning of the word “pure” symbolizing the absolute healthiest and highest quality water product (Hu, Z., 2011) As discussed in an online session by Christina Li, a water sommelier and expert, many bottled waters manufactured in Canada go through a complex reverse osmosis filtration process, de-mineralizing it and severely altering the pH simultaneously (C, Li,. 2020). One of such bottled waters is produced by Dasani (a beverage brand that as of 2018 has a 41.3% market share in Canada) uses this process leading to a water with a pH of 5.72 which is unhealthily low when compared to a healthy drinking water of a minimum of 7 pH as mentioned by Christina Li (Wright, K. 2015; C, Li,. 2020).

 Furthermore, based on Dasani’s labelling of their bottled water with the words “pure” and “purified” they are actively deceiving consumers by misleading them to perceive their bottled water as healthy when in fact the extremely low pH makes it an unhealthy choice of drinking water (Dasani Water, n.d.). Additionally, Dasani has further partaken in deception of consumers by recently changing their labelling from being “re-mineralized water” to “purified water” which can be suspected as a modification made in order to curb the growth of consumers' negative perception of the healthiness of dasani water (Adlam, D. J. 2006). Moreover, it can be speculated that what is likely a marginal segment of consumers, have been increasingly gaining awareness of the detrimental effects the re-mineralization process has on the benefits of these minerals and overall health of the water. Therefore it would be sensible for Dasani to scrap this label in favor of the far more attractive and certainly less skepticism provoking “purified water” label (Adlam, D. J. 2006). The particular detrimental effects that occur in the reverse osmosis and re-mineralization process were further described by Christina Li. She explained how the process of re-mineralization involves artificially added minerals which are not able to be retained in the water and thus not only are their nutritional benefits tremendously lost, but also, future mineral absorption of the consumer (also known as bio availability) is greatly hindered (C, Li,. 2020). When considering Dasani’s ploy to portray their bottled water as healthy by means of mis-labelling and label altering, this scientific evidence makes it indisputable that Dasani is deceiving consumers to believe they offer a healthy bottled water. As If this wasn’t enough deceit, Dasani’s label has always featured the statement, “enhanced with minerals”, which although in and of itself may be a completely accurate and true statement, is still a despicable act of misleading (Dasani Water, n.d.). This is because, in a nutritional context, consumers evidently associate the word “enhanced” to mean increased and improved, which consequently instills the false perception that Dasani bottled water, is an excellent source of minerals. 

The bottled water industry has risen to be a presiding global force, with Canada being no exception to its power, and while one would think that with this power should come great responsibility, clearly the bottled water industry, largely, does not. This can be seen with the deception and misleading of consumers by mis-labelling and mis-advertising, in some cases seemingly being done by exploiting lack of consumer knowledge such as with the use of attractive phrasing like “enhanced with minerals” when in fact, the water undergoes a re-mineralization process that voids the health benefits of the water as a result. Ultimately, an instance like this is inexcusable in my mind and I'd suspect a large proportion of society. This gives me confidence that despite the bottled water industry’s insurmountable influence in our world, societal progress and demand for common good can overpower and interrupt such an unjust superiority.

References

The Globe & Mail. (2017, March 20). Why Canadians are - or aren't - drinking bottled water. Retrieved October 06, 2020, from https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/food-and-wine/food-trends/why-canadians-are-or-arent-drinking-bottledwater/article34353867/

UN-Water. (n.d.). Human Rights: UN-Water. Retrieved October 06, 2020, from https://www.unwater.org/water-facts/human-rights/

Fraser Institute. (2018, December 05) Canada is richly endowed with freshwater resources. . Retrieved October 06, 2020, from https://www.fraserinstitute.org/blogs/canada-is-richly-endowed-with-freshwater-resources

Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Pure. Retrieved October 06, 2020, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pure

Hu, Z., Morton, L. W., & Mahler, R. L. (2011). Bottled water: United States consumers and their perceptions of water quality. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 8(2), 565-578.

C. Li, online class session (2020, September 09)

Wright, K. (2015, June 01). Is Your Drinking Water Acidic? A Comparison of the Varied pH of Popular Bottled Waters. Retrieved October 06, 2020, from https://jdh.adha.org/content/89/suppl_2/6.short

Dasani Water. (n.d.). Retrieved October 06, 2020, from https://www.dasani.com/products/water/

Adlam, D. J. (2006). The influence of label information and motivation on purchase intent for bottled water products (Doctoral dissertation).