Plastic and additives ban: How it affects to bubble tea market?

Plastic and additives ban: How it affects to bubble tea market?

Plastic brings us convenience, but it also brings harm to our mother Earth. Some Animals suffocate because of them, rivers get blocked by them, oceans lose their blue because of them. Many people and organizations showing anger about this issue and prohibited importing plastic products to minimize the plastic usage in our generation.

Many of our customers from Europe and Canada mentioned that the plastics are banned. We provide some alternatives for your reference to help the environment also helping you to save troubles from custom.

STRAW

While enjoying a good cup of bubble tea, keep in mind that plastic straws are one of the major plastic pollutions. I believe many of us have seen photos of sea turtles being tortured by plastic straws inserted into their nostrils.

Similar incidents occur every day on Earth. What we could do is to try our best minimizing the use of plastic straw as much as possible.

One way to replace plastic straws is by using alternative materials. we provide the following alternatives:

1.          PLA (Polylactide): Bioplastic made from plant-based materials. It can biodegrade under specific conditions, but it has lower heat resistance and is not suitable for hot drinks. even needs to use a heat-resistant blanket to travel through the sea.

2.          Paper: Paper straws typically do not contain harmful chemicals, making them safe to use. Additionally, compared to materials like PLA, paper straws have better heat resistance, meaning they are less likely to deform or release harmful substances when used with hot drinks. Therefore, they are popularly used as a replacement for plastic.

3.          Chlorella: Having a naturally beauty and appealing appearance and a great eco-friendly material with compostable functions.

4.          Wheat: Made from wheat fiber, recycled agricultural materials. Also, with compostable functions.

The above 2 materials are getting more popular due to its compostable functions.

5.          Starch: Only remain 30% of plastic, most eco-friendly straws are a bit pricey compared to plastic ones. The advantage of starch straws is their lower plastic content and lower price, which makes them suitable for passing through certain customs.

CUP

You may have seen this image with plastic products in the EU, If the plastic cups you use don’t have, you may be in trouble.

Canada and Western Australia, have comprehensive bans on plastic products, where only PLA, paper cups or reusable cups are permitted. Speaking of reusable, I believe that is the best way, not only is cost-effective, but it's also safe to use and helps protecting our precious environment. The only inconvenience is that they need to wash after they use it to put a cup of bubble tea.

Businesses could also attract customers by offering discounts on reusable cups, promoting environmental conservation efforts.

FOOD ADDITIVES

Starting from 2023, the world began to pay strict attention to food additives. Government agencies have strengthened regulation and supervision to ensure that the use of food additives complies with strict standards and regulations. Many companies have also started to shift towards using more natural and healthier alternatives to meet custom’s demands in food safety and health. This trend has driven innovation and change in the food industry, prompting people to pay more attention to the ingredients and sources of the food they consume.

In certain Middle East countries. synthetic food pigments have been strictly prohibited. This prohibition stems from concerns over potential health risks associated with artificial additives. Some common colorants like E102 (Yellow #5/ Tartrazine)、E110 (Yellow #6/ Sunset Yellow) and E129 (Red #40/ Allura Red) are banned due to that reason.

 

The taste of sweetness is appealing and easily ingrained in humans. Over thousands of years of evolution, the body has come to associate sweetness with high calories, which in mean survival. Today, despite the absence of survival concerns, people's fondness for sweetness remains undiminished. However, the high calorie content associated with sweetness has now become a drawback. so, the sweeteners were invented to avoid this issue.

 

Expect Red pigments, some sweeteners are also banned in EU. Sucralose, commonly used to enhance sweetness in Poppings Boba, and Acesulfame Potassium in some syrup, are also prohibited for use in EU. In order to obey with regulations regarding the use of colorants and sweeteners mentioned above, we have prepared alternative versions without colorants and sweeteners. We use natural, safe ingredients to replace them. More information can be found in Friendly Reminder: Recent Import Regulation Changes Affecting Bubble Tea.

Q & A

Q: Why should we be concerned about artificial food colorants?

A: Some artificial food colorants may be associated with allergic reactions or other health issues.

Additionally, the manufacturing process of certain synthetic colorants may be harmful to the environment.

 

Q: What are the differences between natural colorants and chemically synthesized colorants?

A: Natural colorants are typically made from sources found in nature, such as plants, fruits, or insects, whereas chemically synthesized colorants are artificial compounds created through chemical processes. Natural colorants may be considered safer and more environmentally friendly, although they can sometimes be more expensive, while chemically synthesized colorants are often cheaper and offer higher stability.

 

Q: Is recyclable plastic environmentally friendly?

A: While recyclable plastic can reduce waste, the recycling process itself requires energy and resources. Additionally, some types of plastic are difficult to recycle or reuse, so it's preferable to choose materials that could be circulated back into use.

 

Conclusion

To receive the goods that you order from another countries without issue and extra cost is the thing that we focus the most. As nobody wants to buy products from other countries with cheaper prices but couldn’t be cleared out.

Customs regulations change every year, Fokus Inc., with delivering bubble tea materials to over 70 countries, we will always be in the frontline to understand current trend with custom regulation in all the world and we will keep you posted.

If you are having trouble with finding a good alternative for your plastic cup/ straw for your bubble tea drinks, welcome to contact Fokus Inc. for further information.