JA Enshu Yumesaki plans to register its Gabaron tea for labeling as having the effect of controlling blood pressure.
JA Enshu Yumesaki, an agricultural co-operative in Shizuoka Prefecture, has decided to register Gabaron tea, known to have the effect of controlling blood pressure, under the new food labeling system which takes effect in April, allowing companies to make health claims on food labels without case-by-case screening by the government.
The farm co-op, producer and seller of Gabaron tea, is aiming at strengthening brand-building efforts for the product through the labeling, as the tea is attracting increasing attention among people suffering from high blood pressure.
Under the new system, producers can, on their own responsibility, label their food products as having certain health benefits if they submit scientific evidence to the Consumer Affairs Agency. Gabaron tea is made by exposing fresh green tea leaves to nitrogen for anaerobic treatment during processing to increase Gamma Amino Butyric Acid (GABA) levels.
Masamori Tsuboi, head of JA Enshu Yumesaki’s tea division, said the co-op hopes to advertise the health benefits of Gabaron tea using the labels.
(March 28, 2015)