TEAVIGO™ - the best of green tea

DSM Nutritional Products (www.dsmnutritionalproducts.com), the former Vitamins and Fine Chemicals Division of Roche and the world's leading producer of vitamins and carotenoids, has developed a patented process to further purify green tea extracts. This process permits concentration of the most important active principle of green tea (epigallocatechin gallate or EGCG) in relation to the other constituents of green tea. EGCG is the most abundant catechin in green tea, and most of the putative health effects are attributed to EGCG. DSM offers this extract under the brand name TEAVIGO™ as an ingredient for foods, beverages and supplements. Green tea has become a fashionable ingredient in the "health food" and beverage segments as well as in supplements. Consumers remember that green tea has been used in Asia for over 2000 years to prevent and treat many diseases. Also longevity has been associated with green tea. These facts offer product developers in the food and beverage industries excellent opportunities to reposition products. In opposite to common green tea extracts TEAVIGO™ does not significantly alter colour and taste of the food or beverage but adds the major benefits of pure green tea. TEAVIGO™ TG (tablet grade) is a product form that specifically meets the requirements of supplement manufacturers. Due to its highest purity and well defined specifications TEAVIGO™ is the optimum vehicle to meet manufacturers' and consumers' expectations regarding taste, quality and efficiency. Green tea catechins have been reported to have various benefits in humans. Most interesting is the role of TEAVIGO™ on the body composition. As a part of weight management programs including regular exercise and a healthy diet it favours fat burning and thus reduces body fat mass. With its 94 % EGCG content TEAVIGO™ is the best product to supply the benefits of green tea. TEAVIGO™ plays also a role in oral health. In various studies it was shown that EGCG inhibits bacterial growth, prevents plaque formation caused by glucan, reduces the adherence of plaque to the tooth enamel, reduces the activity of salivary amylase, inhibits collagen destruction in gingival pockets, and reduces volatile sulphur compounds causing bad breath. Well investigated are the benefits of EGCG as antioxidant. Certain free radicals are reactive molecules which are formed outside and inside the body by metabolism. They can modify biological structures and thus be risk factors for many diseases. The organism synthesises several antioxidants for protection, but nutritional intake is required for optimal effect as well. An interesting concept is to combine TEAVIGO™ together with the antioxidant vitamins C and E ("TCE concept"). The global benchmark for consumption of green tea is Japan. 52 % of the Japanese take it daily, 84 % consume it at least weekly. Recently, DSM Nutritional Products Europe has arranged a consumer survey on awareness and consumption of green tea and products containing green tea extracts in Great Britain, Germany and Italy (1'000 respondents per market). As expected, the number of regular users is considerably lower in Europe, with 26 % in Italy, 16 % in Germany, but only 11 % in Great Britain. In all markets the major reason for not using green tea products is its unpleasant taste. Being neutral in most foods and beverages TEAVIGO™ is exactly the product that can invite additional consumers to take advantage of the benefits of green tea. DSM Nutritional Products offers the use of the TEAVIGO™ brand on labels of foods, beverages, supplements and oral care products containing it in relevant quantities. This creates trust in the product as the green tea extract used meets highest expectations. DSM Nutritional Products promotes the TEAVIGO™ brand globally (www.teavigo.com) in order to reach good consumer awareness in important markets. In return, the manufacturer has to guarantee certain standards agreed in a contract with DSM Nutritional Products. For further details please log on to: (www.nutra.dsm.com.com)