Leaders in green tea, Ito En and Taiyo, partner to meet North American demand for matcha

Photo © iStockphoto.com/Marika-

Ito En and Taiyo International have partnered to supply matcha for food, beverage, and supplement industries in North America. As part of the partnership Taiyo is introducing Ito En’s ceremonial matcha to its existing portfolio of culinary organic matcha powder and ceremonial matcha powder.

“Taiyo is proud to partner with Ito En, which rounds out our overall green tea portfolio. It is exciting to blend our B2B strengths with Ito En’s consumer-facing expertise,” said Scott Smith, vice president of Taiyo International, in a press release.

“We are very pleased to partner with Taiyo International, having expertise in the North American food and supplement markets. It will enable us to explore new product offerings to American consumers in addition to our product lineup of beverage, tea bags, and tea powder,” said Naritoshi Tomisawa, head of international business of Ito En Ltd. Japan.

Familiarity with matcha has grown quite a bit thanks in part to high end coffee shops and specialty brands who have introduced the product to a broader audience. As its popularity grows, consumers are becoming more sophisticated about matcha, says Smith. “The timing of this partnership between Taiyo and Ito En is ideal due to the growing demand for the flavor of authentic organic matcha as well as its health benefits,” he states.