Jay Street Coffee Now Available At Sprouts Farmers Market Stores

NEW YORK, March 4, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Jay Street Coffee, the latest innovation of the Brooklyn, New York based beverage company, ITO EN (North America) INC. has announced that Sprouts Farmers Market will be the first national retailer to carry the product. Sprouts is a specialty retailer of fresh, natural and organic foods at great prices. Its 170 stores offer a complete shopping experience that includes fresh produce, bulk foods, vitamins and supplements, packaged groceries, meat and seafood, baked goods, dairy products, frozen foods, natural body care and household items catering to consumers' growing interest in health and wellness.

The newly launched Jay Street Coffee, inspired by the Brooklyn neighborhood and street address the company is situated on is now available in the Sprouts Farmers Market stores.

"Sprouts will be a strategic partner for our new Jay Street Coffee line-up" says Adam Hertel, V.P. of Grocery and Natural Sales. "We are confident that our ready-to-drink coffees will resonate with Sprouts customers looking for a healthy and convenient coffee offering."

Fresh brewed from 100% Arabica Coffee beans, the beans are roasted to a medium roast to enhance the sweetness and minimize the acidity. Using only milk coming from milk herds that have not been treated with rBST, the new shelf stable coffees are conveniently packaged in recyclable lightweight 16.9fl oz. PETE bottles, appealing to today's busy and active coffee lover.

"With the ready-to-drink coffee category growing at almost 20% per year, we believe our all natural coffee is a healthier alternative to many of the calorie-rich coffees on the market today," adds Jim Hoagland, ITO EN's E.V.P. of Sales & Marketing. "By leveraging our expertise in fresh brewed, great tasting beverages we were able to develop a coffee with a smooth and flavorful finish."

Available in three (3) flavors, Mocha, Latte and Vanilla, the new coffees are only 180 calories per bottle with zero grams of fat. The fun and colorful bottles depict Brooklyn motifs-the famous water tower located atop of ITO EN's 20 Jay Street building, a historic brownstone window and iron wrought gate.

The company recently reduced the packaging of their ready-to-drink bottles to 18.7 grams compared to the industry standard of 24 grams. With a lighter gauge bottle and smaller bottle caps, the company is committed to reducing their carbon footprint. Recognized for their environmental initiatives, ITO EN has been awarded for their Innovation of eco-friendly products and recycling of their tea leaves from their signature tea beverages.

For more information, please visit jaystreetcoffee.com or www.itoen.com.

About ITO EN (North America) INC.

ITO EN(North America) INC., a subsidiary of ITO EN(Japan) LTD., is an innovative beverage industry leader dedicated to creating authentic products that embody the company's five principles of Natural, Safe, Healthy, Well-designed and Delicious. ITO EN is specifically known as a global leader in green tea with award-winning brands, including TEAS' TEA, Oi Ocha, ITO EN Shots and Matcha LOVE, artisanal loose leaf teas and most recently brewed coffee, Jay Street Coffee. For more information, please visit www.itoen.com.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140304/NY76176

SOURCE ITO EN