Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/1461678
STiR coffee and tea 11 Finlays and Firmenich Join Forces Goal is to help brands introduce natural, sustainably-sourced coffee and tea solutions Finlays 1 , a leading supplier of coffee, tea, and botanical solutions, and Firmenich 2 , the world's largest privately-owned fragrance and taste com- pany, entered an agreement giving Firmenich full sales rights to Finlays' European tea and coffee extracts portfolio in Europe, effective immediately. Under this new agreement, Firmenich will focus on commercializing two core parts of Finlays' extracts business in Europe: its world-leading cold brew coffee portfolio and its tea extract portfolio. Finlays' cold brew coffee portfolio serves a rapidly-growing segment within the European region, and is crafted using a proprietary process which delivers a distinctly smooth, rich flavor experience. Finlays' tea extract portfolio includes The Wellbeing Collection3, a range of premium, all natural tea extracts which are rich in bioactive compounds associated with various health benefits and are sustainably-sourced from Finlays' own tea farms in Kenya. "Firmenich and Finlays are joining forces at a time when consumer demand for healthier, natural ingredients has never been higher," said Rachel Jones, Finlays group head of business development. "Firmenich's strong market coverage, deep understanding of taste and application know-how will enable Finlays products to reach a broader audience in Europe, helping the food and beverage industry develop innovative recipes featuring tea and coffee ingredients to meet evolving customer expectations." "We are very excited about this partnership," said Karel Stoschek, v.p., Europe of Firmenich's aste & Beyond division. "Our customers will benefit from Firmenich and Finlays' combined expertise in product development, streamlining their own innovation and new product develop- ment process and helping to create even better products that tap into the natural, wellbeing and sustainability consumer megatrends." Under the new agreement, Firmenich is responsible for the full sales process, from commercial relationship to brief management, supported by the Finlays team. The partnership focuses exclusively on Finlays' ranges of tea and coffee extracts, and covers European markets only. 1 https://www.finlays.net 2 https://www.firmenich.com 3 https://www.finlays.net/product-solution/wellbeing-collection/ United States Attorney Breon Peace. "We will not tolerate attempts to make a dishonest dollar while putting our communities at risk during a pandemic." Since at least April 2020, the complaint alleges, on their own websites and through social media posts and videos on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter TikTok, and YouTube, Sinclair, and his companies misrepresented that Earth Tea prevents or treats Covid-19 and falsely claimed to have evidence of its efficacy. The defendants say they have anecdotal evidence from customers to support the claims, but there are currently no published reports or any well-controlled scientific studies or research indicating that Earth Tea can either prevent or treat Covid-19. Earth Tea's ads also include unsupported claims such as: 1 "Vaccines trial shows preventing hospitalization is 85-96% while so far Earth Tea Extra Strength is 100% we have helped people who are vaccinated;" 2 "No one who was positive and used Earth Tea went to the hospital;" and comparing a vial of vaccine with a bottle of Earth Tea, "Which one is 100% effective with 0 side effects…#COVID19 Trial Report Is The Answer Not What Leaders Want…Compare Both." The ads also falsely claim the Earth Tea is clinically proven to cure Covid-19 in 48 hours. In at least one tweet, the defendants claimed the cure would only take 24 hours. The defendants behind Earth Tea cite one 15-person study conducted in India to support their health claims for the product, but the study has a small sample size, no control group, and the results were never published in a recognized scientific journal. The results do not rise to the level of providing "competent and reliable scientific evidence" to support the health claims, according to the complaint. While acknowledging that US government agencies "want[s] us to stop marketing and stop producing Earth Tea Extra Strength" and that they are being "sued by the government because Our Natural Immune Booster helps our body naturally", Earth Tea says on its website 2 that, until a decision has been made, the product is still available for sale in the US. And, conveniently, right below the text is the shopping cart order form to make an easy purchase of Earth Tea's supposed Covid cure at $60.00 per 16-ounce bottle. Did the US government just do a major sales job for Earth Tea with all this free PR? 1 https://www.justice.gov/opa/press-release/file/1479796/ download 2 https://b4bearthteallc.com Up Front