Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/581281
26 STiR tea & coffee industry international / Issue 5, 2015 (October/November) (€6 million) project would bestow the much-needed value addition to the commodity in terms of infrastructure, productivity, and quality parameters in line with international standards. Nepal is now producing 300 metric tons (mt) against a demand of 5,000 mt. At the launch program, Commerce Minister Sunil Bahadur Thapa expressed his hope that with the successful implementation of the project, Nepali coffee would become more competitive in the export marketplace. Grown at altitudes ranging from 800 meters to 1,600 meters, 65% of the output is exported and there is increasing demand for the commodity in Europe. EU Ambassador to Nepal Rensje Teerink said that the coffee industry could generate employment and help in alleviation of poverty, if quality met EU norms. The producers stressed the need for more support from the government and development of specialty variants to boost exports. SINGAPORE Coffee Bean Expansion Deal The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (CBTL), Southern Califor- nia's oldest and largest privately- held specialty coffee and tea retailer, signed a development agreement with South Korean retail conglomerate, E-LAND, to introduce its premium beverages and innovative brand culture to China. With this deal, CBTL enters it 28th international market in a bid to strength- en its brand in Asia. E-LAND is best known in China for its fashion retail brands and aims to continue developing their food and beverage category. "Introducing our iconic brand to the Chinese market signifies a huge mile- stone for us. Known for its rich and storied tea history, we are excited to lend a hand in shaping a lasting, high-quality coffee culture with Chinese tastes in mind," says Jeff Schroeder, s.v.p. of operations. The first store in China is expected to open in the fourth quarter of this year with plans for 700 more in the long term plan. Learn more: www. coffeebean.com/ US Less Loss for Farmer Brothers Many analysts believed Farmer Brothers would post a bigger per-share loss than what was announced when the company made its fourth quarter financial report. The better-than-expected news appears to have been received well in the marketplace which responded favorably. That day shares saw more than a 25% increase in price. Some adjustments were to be expected given the company's recent restructuring and plans to move its head- quarters from California to Texas. Of that move, Michael H. Keown Farmer Brothers president and c.e.o. said, "Our corporate relocation plan is currently on track. In May we success- fully moved the coffee roasting, grinding and packaging functions that were previously conducted in Torrance to our Houston production facility, and in August we celebrated the groundbreak- ing ceremony for the construction of our new state-of-the-art coffee produc- tion, distribution, and headquarters facility in Northlake, Texas." Learn more: www.farmerbros.com/ the use of pure powdered caffeine, potentially dangerous products that have already resulted in the known deaths of two teenagers." FDA has previously issued consumer advice in English and Spanish, which warned consumers directly that the purity of caffeine in powder is "… roughly equivalent to the amount in 25 cups of coffee." The National Coffee Association of USA has informed its member of how the organization is following develop- ments related to FDA's wider examina- tion of overall caffeine intake among American consumers. In addition to meeting with FDA officials in Washing- ton, NCA has submitted a technical white paper on coffee and caffeine to the agency. Learn more: www.fda.gov Caffeine Warnings Issued The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) took action to protect consumers against pure, powdered caffeine. According to a press release issued by the agency, the five warning letters issued to five distributors was meant to "…help prevent additional deaths from Psychology of "PSL Season" PSL, short for pumpkin spice latte. On television, blogs, and other online networks, Americans began being inundated with advertising for this now perennial coffee product in early September. In a typical year, it would be a bit early to count the pumpkins in your pumpkin patch. Farmers who grow it as a crop consider US Labor Day through the end of October the best time to sell the round, orange squash. A post on The Conversation by Jordan Gaines Lewis, a neuroscience doctoral candidate at Penn State College of Medicine, tackles the question of "Why are we so obsessed with pumpkin spice everything?" In it, Lewis points to further reading on reactance theory, social conformance, and the benefits of nostalgia—all useful bodies of research for anyone marketing a coffee product. Powdered caffeine Spicing up sales