FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Contacts:
Rona Tison                                                                           Elizabeth Kellogg
ITO EN (North America) INC.                                                 CKPR
(707) 327-6413                                                                     (212) 251-1210 
rtison@itoen.com                                                                   ekellogg@ckpr.biz


ITO EN INTRODUCES OI OCHA to THE AMERICAN MARKET

New York, New York – ITO EN, the world’s leading supplier of loose leaf and ready-to-drink green tea, introduces Oi Ocha, the top selling green tea beverage in Japan, to the American marketplace.

Introduced to the Asian markets in the United States ten years ago, Oi Ocha was developed in 1985 as the first 100% natural, unsweetened green tea packaged in a can. The tea is brewed using a “natural clear” method, which retains it pureness.

“The American tea drinker has developed a taste for green tea and the demand suggests that the American palette is ready for a stronger, more authentic version of the beverage,” states Rona Tison, senior vice president of corporate relations for ITO EN (North America) INC. “We are proud to bring a traditional tea ritual of the east to the west.”

In addition to Oi Ocha, ITO EN recently launched the following products:

  • “Dr. Andrew Weil for Tea” – a line of unsweetened tea products produced in collaboration with Dr. Andrew Weil, a leading expert in the field of integrative medicine. This line also includes a Turmeric beverage from Okinawa, know for it’s anti-inflammatory properties and longevity on the island.
  • Tea’s Tea Mint Green – the newest flavor in ITO EN’s popular line of all-natural, unsweetened ready-to-drink green tea beverages brewed with premium whole loose leaf tea.
  • Sencha Shot – a double brewed green tea beverage that contains five times the amount of catechins as normal green tea beverages and provides the recommended daily allowance of antioxidants in one serving.
About ITO EN:

Established in 1966, Japan-based ITO EN, LTD. was founded to market green tea, a traditional Japanese beverage. Today, ITO EN, LTD. is firmly positioned as the world's leading supplier of green tea leaves and green tea beverages, developing a steady stream of new products that specifically address customer needs and lifestyles. Known as a trendsetter in Japan's beverage industry, intensive research and development has allowed the company to cultivate better tea and position itself as the first company to create a patented method of bottling green tea in a manner that carefully preserves its distinct flavor and integrity. ITO EN’s 2007 expansion into mainstream markets and partnership with Dr. Andrew Weil, a leading expert in the field of integrative medicine, has helped secure the company’s position in the U.S. marketplace. Additional information can be accessed through www.itoen.com.