The Serene Cup

Fresh Cup Magazine

July 2006

Bruce Richardson, columnist

FDA Takes Steam out of Tea’s Health Claims

Tea’s claim to a healthy life suffered an unfortunate set-back recently when the Food and Drug Administration rejected the petition of Ito En Ltd, a Japanese company and the world's largest green tea manufacturer. Ito En wanted to claim that drinking five ounces of green tea each day may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

The May announcement by the FDA stated “Based on FDA's consideration of the scientific evidence and other information submitted with your petition, and other pertinent scientific evidence and information, FDA concludes that there is no Ito En New York retail store. credible evidence to support qualified health claims for green tea or green tea extract and a reduction of a number of risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease”.

This decision comes on the heels of last year’s rejection of a petition by another tea company, Dr. Lee’s Tea for Health, asking that a claim be allowed to state that the consumption of green tea prevented breast and prostate cancer. This company, owned by a medical doctor with a background in oncology, desired to put the claim directly on their bottles of ready-to-drink green tea.

Both of these Asian-based companies appear to have jumped the gun in petitioning the FDA before enough controlled studies were documented. These premature attempts to use health claims as marketing strategies threaten the tea industry’s growing appeal to health-conscious consumers.

The petitions did not go unnoticed by the United States Tea Association. They are reasons for concern according to President Joe Simrany. Knowing the poor reception afforded Dr. Lee’s request, Simrany attempted to put off Ito-En’s filing.

“When we first heard of the Ito-En petition a year or so ago, we met with senior members of their management team to encourage them to withdraw their petition because, in our opinion, it likely would not be approved by the FDA. Obviously, we failed to convince them to do so as they were quite optimistic that their petition would be approved,” Simrany stated. “We were concerned that the industry still lacked critically important human clinical studies which the FDA weighs very heavily in their decision making process.”

For years, the Tea Association and Specialty Tea Institute have both cautioned members about getting ahead of the tea and health research studies going on worldwide. Tea is a part of healthy lifestyle, but is it medicine?

International Symposium on Tea & Health

I remember sitting in the audience at the International Symposium on Tea and Health held in Washington, DC in September 2002. The daylong marathon of speakers featured 12 prominent research scientists reading the results of their studies. Approximately 300 international clinicians and a sprinkling of tea industry leaders and journalists filled the Department of Agriculture auditorium. The deluge of medical and scientific jargon taxed my vocabulary skills and my ability to comprehend statistical analysis.

I might not have been able to understand all that I heard that day but I did come away with a few important conclusions to share with my tea customers. Those gleanings included:

Over 300 research projects were going on worldwide;
Preliminary studies showed tea consumption appeared to influence some forms of cancer and heart disease;
We should always temper our excitement about tea’s health benefits by using the terms such as “may prevent” and “early studies indicate.”

As exciting as these revelations were, the best result of the symposium was the boost it gave to tea sales. The good news of tea was broadcast that evening on every television news show, and tea’s healthy reputation was splashed across the front pages of the nation’s newspapers and magazines. It was the beginning of a love affair between the nation’s food and health writers and an ancient beverage. Tea’s dusty Victorian image was infused with new life. And the publicity was free!

That’s why tea industry leaders are concerned about the confusion these recent FDA pronouncements have stirred in the press. Following the Ito En story, one reporter said “people can still buy green tea, but they will have to face the reality that it does nothing for them.”

That is not the kind of news we want to generate.

Asian society views tea as healthy

In defense of Dr. Lee and Ito En, tea drinking in Asian society has a healthy reputation that goes back thousands of years. Tea is part of the culture, and consumers (and the domestic trade) are convinced that tea is a healthy beverage.

The United States government will need more tangible evidence.

Tea Association President Simrany said, “Unfortunately, tea consumption is not so deeply enmeshed in the lives of people outside these countries (Asia) and the FDA must be convinced through methodical and consistent scientific studies.”

Ito En (North America) released a statement in response to the FDA's decision. Rona Tison, vice president of corporate relations, stated: "Although Ito En considers it unfortunate that the green tea health claim petition has been rejected by the FDA, the company will continue its research on green tea. Ito En looks forward to working with the FDA to identify research supporting green tea and a specific benefit to human health. Like many fruits and vegetables, green tea contains important antioxidants, which research has shown can play a significant role in an individual's well-being."

The tea industry response

Why can’t we make absolute claims based on anecdotal evidence or short-term studies? Isn’t the United States Department of Agriculture one of the sponsors of the research into tea’s healthy components?

It can be confusing to read that the USDA is touting the results of preliminary studies on tea’s possible health benefits while down the street, the FDA is denying absolute claims that tea cures cancer and heart disease.

I tell my customers that I take an aspirin each day because some studies indicate it may be good for my cardiovascular health. But, the Bayer Company cannot say on their label that “consuming an aspirin each day will prevent a heart attack.” Ten years worth of controlled studies may someday reveal that to be true. Until then, borrowing a line from Porgy and Bess, “it ain’t necessarily so.”

What does this health claim battle mean to the average tea retailer and the customers they serve? What are we to say when customers ask “what’s so healthy about green tea?” Is it true or not?

Simrany offered some reassuring counsel. “Tea retailers should reassure their customers that it is not if a health claim will be granted, it is when it will be granted. As more research is conducted, it is only a matter of time until the industry will be able to meet the stringent requirements of the FDA. Also, it is always a good idea for suppliers to stress the other reasons for drinking tea: because it tastes good and it makes you feel good about yourself. If consumers drink tea for this reason then they will likely consume it on a regular basis which is a very positive step towards making an intelligent food/beverage choice.”

Why do I drink tea? Tea is a ritual that refreshes my spirit. How do you measure that? How much more fortunate I will be if it turns out to be healthy!

Bruce Richardson is the owner of Elmwood Inn Fine Teas and the author of such books as The Great Tea Rooms of Britain and The New Tea Companion. His guidebook, Tea in the City: London will be available in summer 2006.

This article and photographs are copyrighted materials. They may not be used in any form, electronically or in print, without the written consent of the publisher, Fresh Cup magazine.

Fresh Cup magazine

The New Tea Companion

Bruce Richardson is the co-author of The New Tea Companion published by the National Trust of England.