Corporate Social Responsibility

Research & Development

Cancer Research

ITO EN supports cancer research with a variety of partners: the American Association of Cancer Research, ITO EN's Scholar-in-Training Program, now in its 10th year, and the Revlon Run/Walk. The Revlon Run/Walk supports numerous cancer-related beneficiaries, such as the Actor's Fund of America, the Cancer Control Center of Harlem, CancerCare, Gilda's Club New York City, the National Breast Cancer Coalition Fund, and the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance.

Research on Health Benefits of Green Tea

At ITO EN's Central Research Institute we seek to confirm the health and nutritional benefits of green tea and vegetables from a scientific perspective. We are constantly exploring new possibilities for a variety of ingredients, centering our efforts on green tea, along with other components that are part of Japan's traditional culture and cuisine. Today, we pursue our research in accordance with the public's growing interest in various aspects besides flavor, such as safety, functionality and the use of additional nutritional elements, primarily vegetables.

We conduct extensive verification research prior to the development of functional beverages, including beverages certified as food for specified health uses, developed with the objective of preventing adult diseases. ITO EN is a pioneer in beverage manufacturing technologies with the aim of enhancing product quality.

ITO EN also collaborates with universities and other outside research organizations to determine the role of green tea's main components, including catechin and theanine, in maintaining good health.

While this research has already produced some promising results, the Institute is conducting joint research into the components of green tea in conjunction with the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in the United States. New discoveries are expected in the near future. Starting from 2003, we have spent more than 100 million dollars on these research efforts.

Research into Main Properties of Green Tea