The NIFTS research on 'Benifuki' tea cultivar is part of NARO's efforts on the development of functional agricultural foods and their processed products in order to promote a healthy and rich diet for consumers and to address the country's food supply issues. The research achievement was presented at the exhibition hall of the G7 Science and Technology Ministers' Meeting held in Tsukuba on May 15-17, 2016. The poster focused on 'Memehana-cha', a green tea beverage derived from 'Benifuki' cultivar. It is rich in O-methylated catechins and is classified as a healthy drink as it alleviates eye or nose discomfort caused by exposure to house dust etc. It has also been found to be effective against allergy to cedar pollen which is a serious allergy problem in Japan at the onset of spring.
