ITO EN Turns Black Friday Into Green With Complimentary Hot Tea For Weary Holiday Shoppers

New York, NY – Shoppers venturing out and into the fray of Black Friday can re-group and re-charge with complimentary hot tea, courtesy of the ITO EN tea store, located on Madison Avenue between 68th and 69th street (822 Madison). Throughout the day, ITO EN will be serving Sencha Shot, a green tea brew that delivers 152mg of natural catechin tea antioxidants in a conveniently sized 6.4 fl oz. recyclable can. This is approximately five times the amount found in an 8 fl oz. serving of a standard green tea beverage*, and 140% of the RDI of vitamin C.

“With the hectic pace of the holidays just beginning, ITO EN thought that this would be a perfect way to remind people about the benefits of green tea,” said Rona Tison, vice president of corporate relations for ITO EN (North America), INC. “All the running around we do during this time of year can really take its toll on our bodies. Research has shown that green tea can potentially help strengthen the immune system and maintain healthy cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar levels and assist in boosting metabolism.”

Sencha Shot is created by using Ito En’s proprietary double-brew process. This is an advanced, deeper brewing method that extracts more of the natural catechins from the tea leaves as well as producing a more full-bodied taste. It is all-natural, unsweetened and contains no fat, calories or carbohydrates.

Since establishing their U.S. operations in 2001, Tokyo-based ITO EN has introduced the green tea culture to the American market through the TEAS’ TEA line of all natural, unsweetened ready-to-drink teas, which received the ‘Best Flavor’ and ‘Best Packaging’ awards from the 2005 World Tea Expo. The company also imports and markets Sencha Shot and the award-winning Tea Apple and Tea Lemon from their line of natural fruit teas. Recently, the company acquired Mason Distributors, a Florida-based vitamin and supplement manufacturer, which gains them entry to the ever-growing U.S. supplement market. The ITO EN Tea Shop, located on Manhattan’s Madison Avenue, has received the 2005, 2006 and 2007 Zagat NYC Gourmet Marketplace award for ‘Best Tea’, and the company also operates the renowned KAI and Donguri restaurants in New York City.

To access more information or order from the entire line of ITO EN products, please visit www.itoen.com.

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Established in 1966, Japan-based ITO EN, LTD. was founded to market green tea, a traditional Japanese beverage. Today, the company is firmly positioned as not only the world's leading supplier of green tea leaves and green tea beverages, but an all encompassing beverage company that is continuously 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.

Press Contact: Patrick Morris 518-272-2400, ext. 12