ITO EN Partners With Andrew Weil, M.D., To Develop Green Tea Beverage Line

New York, NY – ITO EN (North America), INC announced that the company has entered into a partnership with world-renowned leader and pioneer in the field of integrative medicine, Andrew Weil M.D., to develop a line of green tea beverages. The complete Weil for Tea line will make its debut at the 2007 Expo West Natural Products trade show in Anaheim, CA., in conjunction with a personal appearance by Dr. Weil. Select products from the line will be previewed during the Winter Fancy Foods Show in NYC. Buyers and distributors interested in attending an exclusive reception at Expo West to meet Dr. Weil and review the line should contact Jim Hoagland, VP of Sales/Specialty Division on 303.928.2318.

“There is a tremendous amount of synergy between Dr. Weil’s company vision and our own,” said Rona Tison, vice president of corporate relations for ITO EN (North America), INC. “We are both in-tune with living and promoting a healthy lifestyle through the type of products we offer. This partnership will enable each of us to combine our core strengths to bring a new, holistic line of products to market”

Dr. Weil has been a long time proponent of green tea and it’s restorative properties. Visiting Japan frequently and having lived there for a period of time, he is well acquainted with ITO EN and its stable of healthy products. “I consider ITO EN to be the largest and best producer of tea products in Japan, and I am proud to be partnered with them as they continue to develop their products in North America.” He is the Founder and Director of the Program in Integrative Medicine (PIM) at the College of Medicine, University of Arizona, where he is also a Clinical Professor of Medicine and Professor of Public Health and the Lovell-Jones Professor of Integrative Rheumatology. Dr. Weil received both his medical degree and his undergraduate AB degree in biology (botany) from Harvard University. He is the author of several best selling books that support healthy living.

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 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 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, 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.

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