Abstract: Disclosed is a process for manufacturing a green leaf tea product, the process comprising the steps of:—providing fresh tea leaves comprising catechins and active endogenous enzymes;—comminuting the fresh tea leaves comprising active endogenous enzymes under aerobic conditions sufficient to cause substantial bruising to the leaves;—inactivating the endogenous enzymes in the comminuted fresh tea leaves to substantially prevent fermentation of the fresh leaves;—and drying the comminuted fresh tea leaves to yield the green leaf tea product.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process comprising the step of: expressing juice from a first supply of fresh tea leaves thereby to produce leaf residue and tea juice; subjecting the first supply of fresh tea leaves and/or the tea juice to an enzyme deactivation treatment thereby to prevent fermentation of the tea juice; and combining the tea juice in which the enzymes have been deactivated with fermented or fermenting tea material.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process comprising the steps of: expressing juice from a first supply of fresh tea leaves thereby to produce leaf residue and tea juice; subjecting the first supply of fresh tea leaves and/or the tea juice to a fermentation step thereby to at least partially ferment the tea juice; and combining the at least partially fermented tea juice with substantially unfermented tea material.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process comprising the steps of: providing fresh tea leaves comprising catechins; macerating the fresh tea leaves thereby to produce dhool; fermenting the dhool for a fermentation time (tF) sufficient to reduce the content of catechins in the dhool to less than 50% of the content of catechins in the fresh tea leaves prior to maceration on a dry weight basis; and then expressing juice from the fermented dhool thereby to produce leaf residue and tea juice, wherein the amount of expressed juice is at least 50 ml per kg of the fresh tea leaves.