The production of tea bags began in the early twentieth century. Moreover, the invention was released by pure chance. This happened when an American entrepreneur decided to reduce the cost of delivering tea samplers to his wholesale customers.
Instead of tin cans, he used silk pouches. People were baffled. They decided that the bag itself should be lowered into the water, not its contents. I liked the idea and found its further development. Over time, the fabric was replaced by a very thin filter paper, capable of letting water through and not soaking.
Benefits of Tea Bag
The main difference between a product enclosed in filter paper is its degree of fineness. For packaging take a certain type of tea leaf, which is called Fannings. The main difference between this variety is the smaller particle sizes. This allows the gulls to interact faster and better with water, giving the liquid maximum volume of substances. That is why a packaged product is brewed much faster than a regular one.
Tea Bag Quality
In the manufacture of such a popular product, many manufacturers use recycled materials. It is a seeding and crumbs. This is a small-leaved low-quality product, which is classified as category D. It is a waste obtained in the production of leaf tea.
Low grade product is very small. In this regard, it does not have the taste and aroma that is inherent in tea leaves. In addition, packaged tea is significantly inferior to the present in composition. Some manufacturers try to compensate for this shortage with the help of flavoring and aromatic additives.
The production of tea bags by individual foreign companies is carried out using expensive raw materials. These firms buy long leaf varieties. The quality of tea bags in this case is much higher. However, at the same time its retail price rises sharply. It becomes higher than the average market, which reduces consumer demand for products.
Idea for business
The production of tea bags is a promising and profitable business. However, it should be borne in mind that the sale of finished products is subject to seasonal fluctuations. In the summer, it is significantly reduced due to the large consumption of soft drinks.
Seasonality factor can be defeated only by large manufacturers, providing a wide assortment list of products. At the same time, the list of manufactured goods should include not only teas, but also soft drinks based on them.
Company opening
Starting a business from scratch, you will need to follow all the formalities. You will need to register with the tax office as an individual entrepreneur. To open production, you must have permits from Rospotrebnadzor and SES. In addition, you will need the following:
- agreed and registered specifications;
- recipes;
- technical instructions;
- permission received from the veterinary service.
The preparation of the necessary documents will be significantly accelerated when applying for help from specialists.
Choice of premises
The production of tea bags is carried out in a workshop that meets many SES requirements. In addition, the room must have at least four rooms.There will be warehouses for raw materials and finished products, as well as a production site and locker rooms for staff. A prerequisite is the availability of electricity and water.
Service staff
If the production of tea bags is small, then the staff should include a director responsible for general management and marketing of products, as well as a technologist who is responsible for the recipes and engaged in quality control of the goods. It will take up to four workers. Their responsibilities will include the production and packaging of finished products.
Equipment
The production of tea bags is a combination of a variety of technological operations. Product packaging is carried out using a special forming and counting system.
Tea packaging equipment is a whole range of different machines. Each of them is designed to perform certain operations.
When choosing equipment, you should pay attention to its functional purpose. Some machine modifications are capable of performing only one specific operation. For example, it may be the production of a mixture of different varieties of tea. There are also models that can produce several different operations at the same time.
So, tea is immediately packed into bags, and then they are packed using the same equipment. These operations can be performed using technical means of automatic or semi-automatic operation. Which line do you prefer? The decision should be made based on the scale of production and the availability of financial resources.
Selection of semi-automatic packaging machines
The packaging of tea in bags with the help of such equipment is carried out at enterprises with an average load. Typically, these machines do not have high performance. The formation of the package and doses of the product is carried out by the operator. The basic principle of semi-automatic systems is to carry out the following operations:
- operator loading a certain dose of tea into a special receiving hopper;
- the formation of a package of paper roll;
- cutting off the finished package by the operator and placing it in the packaging container.
Automatic packing
Semi-automatic equipment operates only with the participation of the operator. All basic operations, which include dose formation, sealing and cutting the package, are assigned to the employee. With automatic devices, all these stages of the technological process are carried out without human intervention. In this case, the operator should only control the consumption of packaging material and check the degree of sealing, the presence of scratches and the location of the information on the package.
We determine the supplier
The choice of a company that will provide production with raw materials is a responsible matter. The decision regarding the conclusion of an agreement with a suitable company is advisable to make on your own.
Wholesale tea suppliers for small businesses can be found online. Ideally, you need to go to China, India or Indonesia, where they grow tea bushes. It is advisable to invite a specialist with you to help determine the quality of the raw materials.
Paper selection
In the production of tea bags, you will need to purchase special packaging. This is a special filter paper, which contains wood, thermoplastic fiber, as well as abacus fiber. This composition allows the sachet to absorb water well and not dissolve in it. At the same time, the taste of the drink is not distorted.
The shape of the bags in which the tea will be packaged can be different - round or rectangular, pyramidal, single or double chamber. This will not affect the quality of the product. However, it should be borne in mind that the rectangular shape is the most economical option.
Sachets can be closed with a metal bracket, thread or thermally.
In the event that the raw materials for the manufacture of products are top-grade tea, the packaging should be a fine-meshed plastic net. In this case, it is advisable to additionally put each bag in an envelope made of paper or foil. This will allow for a long time to preserve tea and prevent the loss of its aroma.
Product sales
To produce products is not everything. The main condition for profit is the sale of goods. The main channels for selling tea are specialized and grocery stores, retail chains, etc. However, it is worth remembering that the competition in this market is quite high. A new product, even having a low price, will be difficult to implement.
Business payback
The costs incurred in organizing medium-sized production will amount to approximately three million Russian rubles. This amount includes the preparation of the necessary documentation, the purchase of used equipment, rent for the premises, wages and promotions. With maximum workload of the workshop and well-established sales, financial investments will pay off in a year and a half.
