• November 8, 2006

Calorie-burning Enviga, set to debut nationally next year, is the only green tea drink that will continue to be marketed by the Coca-Cola/Nestlé joint venture Beverage Partners Worldwide.

In the $941-million dollar global tea market, green tea accounts for about 20 percent of production; black tea, 78. Some teas have benefited from reports that the beverage's antioxidants help ward off such diseases as cancer.

Now, look for competition in the ready-to-drink coffee market to escalate rapidly. Nestlé enjoys strong growth with its Nespresso, which was recently chosen as a "best bet" for a holiday hit at Danish department store Magasin. Coca-Cola is working hard to break into the food service sector with Far Coast Coffee. It targets specialty coffee consumers at hotels and restaurants. Coke also has a "low end" coffee designed for convenience stores and theaters called Chaqwa, which includes only one flavor each of coffee and tea.