nosuga & Elopak: Where organic iced tea meets sustainable packaging
“Naturally sweet without any sugar” – nosuga launched in July 2025 with this promise. The new iced tea brand from Bad Heilbrunner is aimed at health-conscious consumers who expect organic quality, real tea, and transparent recipes, without added sugar or artificial sweeteners. The launch is in line with a trend: not only do many consumers want to reduce their sugar consumption, but the offerings and sales of leading beverage brands are also currently growing, especially in the reduced-sugar and sugar-free categories.
Bad Heilbrunner has acquired the nosuga brand from the Frankfurt-based start-up Maintea. With this acquisition, Bad Heilbrunner aims to strengthen its market position and expand into categories beyond traditional tea and medicinal tea. nosuga has been deliberately positioned as a distinct, younger brand designed to build a product range focused on ‘sugar-free enjoyment,’ independent of traditional structures.
Authentic flavor with real tea character
The four varieties—Peach & Black tea, Lemon & Mint, Elderflower & Lemon balm, and Hibiscus Blossom & Blueberry— are crafted with robust tea infusions and a natural touch of sweetness. This subtle, pleasant sweetness comes from an infusion of sweet herb, licorice root, and sweet blackberry leaf. The result is a light but full-bodied flavor and is perfect for anyone seeking sugar-free, less sweet soft drinks without compromising on taste.
Creating ‘completely sugar-free’ takes a lot of expertise.
Perhaps the most challenging part of the project was developing the recipe: the goal was to launch a completely sugar-free product that was not just reduced in sugar or contained no added sugar. Artificial sweeteners were strictly off limits. The development team invested extensive effort and precise sensory fine-tuning into this task. The result: a drink with a refined flavor profile that delights even without sugar. Customer feedback even recommends the product on ice as a delicious non-alcoholic aperitif.
The beverage carton: a strong stage for sustainable brands
For its packaging concept, nosuga relies on Elopak's gable-top carton: handy, easy to transport, recyclable, and deposit-free—features that are fundamentally important to the target group and meet the demand for conscious enjoyment. From a brand perspective, the carton surface offers ample space for clear design, while high print quality ensures a modern look. Striking details like the asymmetrical gable shape, the first-touch zone, and the rounded top fin add visual appeal. Easy-fold lines simplify emptying, folding, and disposal reducing food waste and overall waste volume in line with sustainability requirements.
An agile, independent team driving the brand
The product line defines itself as organic, vegan, and sustainably packaged. Unlike the traditional eco-image, nosuga embodies a positive, enjoyment-driven lifestyle under the motto ‘Sweet Life & Sugar-Free.
Key ingredients: sustainable Elopak gable-top cartons, innovative recipes, a striking in-store brand presence, and a agile, independent team acting as a corporate startup.
The nosuga team combines expertise from the retail and beverage industries and includes an in-house product developer specializing in beverages. The first four varieties are just the beginning. More sugar-free innovations are already in development. For health- and quality-conscious consumers aged 20 to 50 who value taste and lifestyle, shelf appeal is just as important as the promise of flavor. That’s why nosuga opts for an eye-catching, youthful design – perfectly brought to life with Elopak’s 500 ml Pure-Pak® Sense Aseptic carton.
Distribution channels & brand visibility
nosuga is currently available in selected food retailers and online. EDEKA, REWE, and Fristo beverage stores joined at market launch. Sales also run in the company’s own web shop and via Trendbox, ensuring nationwide availability and driving trial among the target group to build a cross-channel community around “sugar-free & organic.”
nosuga shows how enjoyment, health, and design can come together when product development and packaging are considered as one. The Pure-Pak® Sense Aseptic solution not only supports the brand’s sustainability goals but also brings the “truly organic, sugar-free” story visibly to the shelf and securely into consumers’ hands. For retailers and consumers alike, this creates an offering that looks different, tastes different, and is consciously less sweet.
Relevance for the packaging and beverage industry
For brands that want to reduce sugar and deliver organic quality, nosuga is a clear example of best practice:
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