Millennia Tea, the Saint John maker of frozen tea products, has inked a national distribution deal with U.S. health food giant Whole Foods.

The company sells edible, frozen tea in three forms: loose-leaf, chopped and cubed. CEO Tracy Bell said in a press release that the antioxidant-rich tea could offer health benefits, particularly since it is flash-frozen to preserve nutrients.

“People are waking up to the fact that frozen is the new fresh,” Bell said. “That if you want to maximize the health benefits of the food you’re consuming, you harvest at their nutritional prime and flash freeze them within hours.”

Millennia Tea suggests customers use the frozen tea for recipes such as sauces, dips and smoothies.

As part of the Whole Foods deal, the retailer will add special signage and in-store promotions to its Millennia Tea displays.

Millennia Tea is also sold nationally by Sobeys and Safeway, as part of a separate distribution agreement that started in April.