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 Volume 2, Issue 5 
June 7,
2006 |
| Green Tea Blocks HIV in Test Tube
Study |
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Researchers at Texas Children’s
Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine recently
reported that a chemical found in green tea may block
HIV from attaching to the T-helper cells of the immune
system. The results of the study are encouraging,
although researchers do not yet know whether the
findings will have meaning beyond the laboratory
setting.
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| Move Over Starbucks! There’s a New
Drink in Town...and It’s Green |
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Empowered by his success
building Japan’s Tully’s, a 300-store chain of tea
cafes, Kouta Matsuda recently opened Koots tea café in
the heart of coffee land. The Seattle café features a
tatami mat seating area and a mini tokonoma (a small
alcove in Japanese homes that depict the change of
seasons). The Koots cafes, which Matsuda plans initially
to spread along the West Coast, serves a variety of
matcha-infused tea drinks.
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| Health Benefits of Tea Driving
Extract Markets |
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Tea’s health benefits, from
cancer to cardiovascular disease, are sparking product
developers to explore new uses for tea extracts. Bill
Driessen, technical sales manager of Taiyo
International, believes that the market for tea
extracts, backed by scientific research, is in a solid
growth phase that has not yet reached its peak
potential.
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| 40,000 Ugandan Children Working
Full Time on Tea Estates |
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The International Labour
Organization (ILO) reports that over 40,000 children
younger than 10 years old are working full time on tea
estates in Uganda. Tea growers hire children in order to
cut production costs making for a controversial
situation, including the issue of returning children to
a normal life when they leave the estates.
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| Inko’s Launches E-Commerce Home
Delivery of White Tea Products |
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Inko’s LLC recently announced
the launch of an e- commerce home delivery system for
its white tea products. Consumers can order the products
by the case through the company’s website.
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| New Tea Varieties and Brands
Garnering New Customers and New
Markets |
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As specialty teas continue to
attract new customers, the growth curve of tea is often
compared to the explosive growth in the U.S. wine market
15 years ago. Tea varieties continue to expand as
consumers seek out food and drink products that
contribute to a healthy lifestyle.
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| Green Tea Leaves from 1000-Year-Old
Tree Draws Record Bid |
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Thirteen million won—that was the winning bid for
green tea leaves picked from a 1000-year-old tree at the
11th Hadong Wild Tea Culture Festival in South Korea.
The winning bid was placed by Myung Won Cultural
Foundation. Millenary tea, made from new leaves from the
tree, is noted for its mild taste and deep aroma.
|
| Uniliver Indonesia Looks for New
Growth Opportunities in Flavored
Teas |
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Unilever Indonesia, Indonesia’s largest producer
of consumer goods, is looking to purchase companies that
produce flavored teas and snack foods as part of its
strategic plan to double sales in the next four years.
Fueled by a strong Indonesian economy, prepared foods
and beverages make up the largest portion of
Indonesians’ grocery bills. Vanilla tea in particular
has become a very strong product.
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| Tea Making Inroads into Canadian
Coffee-Drinking Culture |
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Health concerns are pushing
Canadians to look for healthy alternative beverages to
coffee. While coffee still dominates the Canadian hot
beverage market, some experts are seeing a strong
upsurge in tea sales. Premium teas such as chai,
roobios, and matcha are leading the way.
|
| India Takes Action to Revive Ailing
Tea Industry |
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India recently announced that
it has earmarked a billion dollars to revive the
nation’s tea industry, which has suffered from weak
exports and low prices. Most of the funds will be used
to upgrade facilities and rejuvenate old plantations in
order to produce high-quality teas with which to compete
in an increasingly aggressive market.
|
| Research Finds Green Tea Drinkers
at Lower Risk of Type II Diabetes |
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According to separate studies published in
prestigious medical journals, green tea may inhibit risk
of Type 2 diabetes and transdermal delivery of tea
extract may improve absorption of ECGC. In one study
green tea consumption was found to be inversely
proportional with risk of Type 2 diabetes after
adjusting for other risk factors. The transdermal
delivery study, using a rodent model, found that
transdermal ECGC may serve as an alternative to tea
consumption for delivery of ECGC.
|
| Anti-Obesity Effect Found in
Polymerized Polypenol Derived from Oolong
Tea |
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Japan’s Suntory announced that
the company’s R & D unit found that oolong tea
polymerized polyphenols showed an anti-obesity effect in
mice.
|
| Guayaki Launches Ready-to-Drink
Yerba Mate Beverages |
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Guayaki announced the launch of three new yerba
mate bottled beverages. According to Guayaki co- founder
David Karr, the all natural drinks are made with organic
yerba mate and organic cane juice.
|
| Bigelow Adds Organic Green Tea to
Its Product Line |
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R.C. Bigelow Inc. has introduced organic
green tea and organic decaffeinated green tea to its
product line of more than 50 specialty tea varieties.
Sales of organic products, which are increasingly
popular among consumers, are expected to reach $30.7
billion (retail values) by 2007 according to the Organic
Trade Association.
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| Indo-Japanese Tea Experts Attempt
to Develop Unique Tea Variety |
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Experts from India’s Tea
Research Association and Japan’s Kyoto University have
joined together on a three-year project to develop a
unique tea variety that will appeal to tea drinkers
around the world. The three-member team is researching
the attributes of Indian Darjeeling tea in an effort to
induce the aroma of Darjeeling in tea grown in Assam,
India. The team recently announced that they have
developed a “pocket” tea, a tea pill with the refreshing
effect of a hot cup of tea.
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| Asian Connoisseurs Taking Their Tea
Very Seriously |
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A new generation of tea connoisseurs throughout
Asia are enthusiastically reclaiming tea as their own
truly Asian drink. Tea salons serving premium teas are
spreading and young tea drinkers, in reaction to the
intrusion of Western coffee culture, are learning the
subtle tastes, aromas, preparation, and presentation of
their very own beverage.
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| A Spotta Milk with Your Cuppa
Tea? |
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A poll conducted by an internet tea retailer
found that almost 70% of U.S. tea drinkers use milk with
their tea. Tea with milk became all the rage in 17th
century England when tea drinkers poured milk in their
porcelain cups to prevent them from cracking when the
tea was poured.
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| Honest Tea Honored for Its Employee
Friendly Policies |
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Honest Tea was recently honored by Maryland’s
statewide Alliance for Workplace Excellence. The
Workplace Seal of Excellence award recognized Honest Tea
for its investment in wellness, flexible work, and other
family friendly programs for employees.
|
| The Japanese Art of Finding Beauty
in the Primitive |
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Wabi sabi, the Japanese art of finding beauty in
the imperfect objects, celebrates the passage of time.
Japanese cast iron teapots, called Tetsubin, fit the
celebration of wabi sabi perfectly with their unique
historical and cultural background.
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