ITO EN Extends Sweetened Line Of Ready-To-Drink Teas With The Introduction of Tea Mango, Tea Peach, Tea Raspberry and Tea Blueberry

New York, NY — ITO EN (North America), INC, has announced that the company will be introducing Tea Mango, Tea Raspberry, Tea Peach and Tea Blueberry to their sweetened line of ready-to-drink, Sri Lankan black teas during Expo West. The new flavors will join the previously introduced Tea Apple and Tea Lemon varieties which were introduced in (date) and had received four and three and a half star ratings respectively from BevNet.com. Like all ITO EN bottled teas, the new products are authentically brewed from premium whole, loose tea leaves using state-of-the-art brewing techniques — with the added infusion of a touch of fruit. Each variety is available in a 16.9 fluid oz bottle, contains 120 calories per serving with 40% of the suggested daily requirement of Vitamin C. The suggested retail price is $1.99.

“We have had such success with Tea Apple and Tea Lemon that extending the line to include Mango, Peach, Raspberry and Blueberry will really allow us the opportunity to offer our consumers a choice between our many teas,” said Rona Tison, vice president of corporate relations for ITO EN (North America), INC. “We are traditionally known for our unsweetened teas and are thrilled that the success we have had with Tea Apple and Tea Lemon really demonstrates our knowledge, experience and expertise in creating a product that is not sugary sweet and offers a more gentle, softer quality taste.”

Tea Mango is an all-natural sweetened black tea rounded out with the perfect splash of mango for a lush, fruity taste.

Tea Raspberry is an all-natural, sweetened black tea perfected with a touch of ripe raspberries for a satisfying taste.

Tea Blueberry is an all-natural, sweetened black tea combined with blueberries for a refreshing sweet-n-tart taste.

Tea Peach is an all-natural, sweetened black tea blended with the perfect touch of peach to create a luscious, full-bodied taste.

ITO EN has a unique privileged access to the most prized tea harvests in Sri Lanka each season. The company carefully selects superior tea leaves which are noted for their appearance, flavor and aroma and result in the tantalizing flavor found in Tea Mango, Tea Raspberry and Tea Blueberry.

Since establishing their U.S. operations in 2001, Tokyo-based ITO EN LTD. has introduced the green tea culture to the American market through the TEAS’ TEA line of all natural, unsweetened ready-to-drink teas as well as through their New York City based retail and restaurant divisions. The Ito En Tea Shop, located on Manhattan’s Madison Avenue, has received the 2005 and 2006 Zagat Gourmet Marketplace award for ‘best tea’ and the company also operates the renowned KAI and Donguri restaurants. TEAS’ TEA recently received the ‘best flavor’ and ‘best packaging’ awards from the World Tea Expo and has been chosen as the tea of choice in San Francisco’s Hotel Vitale.

In Japan, ITO EN LTD. is renowned as a trendsetter in the tea and beverage industries. They were the first company to produce an unsweetened, 100% naturally brewed canned green tea beverage, pioneering an entirely new market for green tea. Additional information on ITO EN can be found by visiting the company’s website located at www.itoen.com.

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ITO EN (North America) INC., a subsidiary of ITO EN, LTD., the world's leading artisan of green tea leaves and green tea beverages, imports and markets TEAS’ TEA, Sencha Shot, Tea Lemon and Tea Apple in the United States. The brand urges consumers to "Drink for your self®," a tag line which appears on each bottle, to taste the distinction of a beverage that is healthy and designed for an active lifestyle. The Ito En Tea Shop, on New York City’s Madison Avenue, was voted Best Tea Shop by the 2006 and 2005 Zagat Survey of New York City Gourmet Market Places.

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 positioned them as the first company to create a patented method of bottling green tea in a manner that carefully preserves its distinct flavor and integrity. Additional information can be accessed through www.itoen.com.

Contacts: Patrick Morris
518.272.2400, ext. 12