An early-April, first crop sencha harvested from leaves in the Kagoshima regions. The growing climate produces a deep rich aroma and taste and a bright green tea color.
Our Health and Safety Difference - There has been much news recently about safety and health issues related to imported
goods particularly from China.
Here are the measures we take to insure your health and safety.
All non-Japanese Green Tea products conform to the rigorous standards of the following agencies.
• USFDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration)
• CFIA (Canadian Food Inspection Agency
• EFSA (European Food Standards Authority
Tests are conducted for any and all contaminants by recognized agencies at levels higher than both Health Canada and the USFDA require. Each and every lot of tea received and packed in its warehouse is tasted and tested a minimum of 5 times. These tastings ensure that all tea is free from contaminants or taints from any non-tea input. The same policy extends to its herbal products. In addition, our producer uses 18/8 grade stainless steel exclusively in all metal products – infusers, strainers, teapots, etc. Like our teas, this grade has been approved safe for associated food use by:
• USFDA (United States Food and Drug Administration)
• CFIA (Canadian Food Inspection Agency)
• EFSA (European Food Standards Authority)
HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points) is a program designed to assist in analyzing the food product cycle from the raw ingredient stage to the finished product.
Our Producer underwent a rigorous 2-year process to obtain HACCP certification and is audited annually to ensure all processes and documentation are maintained.
Products are produced on tea gardens that conform to the lowest MRL (minimum residue levels) for approved agricultural inputs for tea. Our producer assists our major producers in compiling MRL's from North America, Europe, UK and Australia which are then used by food scientists at Cambridge University to construct matrices identifying the lowest MRL's combined with the least harm to the environment.
Annual Tea Estate Quality Control Visits - Annual visits to growers on all continents are essential to ensure that acceptable standards of manufacturing safety are adhered to.
This has been its policy for 30 years. If a visit to a grower raises questions regarding food safety, and these questions can’t be answered properly or compliance assured, the grower is dropped from the supplier list.
Ethical Tea Partnership -
Our non producer is a member of the Ethical Tea partnership (ETP). The ETP carries out its own strict monitoring regime for it members to insure a variety of environmental safety
ISO 14001 certification
Our Japanese green tea producer and its estates conform to the most rigorous environmental and safety standards.
.In December 2000, it became the first Japanese producer of tea products to acquire ISO 14001 certification for environmental management systems. Conforming to ISO 14001 guidelines provided it the foundation to conduct an environmental protection program on a continuous basis as an integral part of its business activities. All its major tea production facilities acquired certification not only for the development of management systems, but also for using the systems to increase environmental awareness among employees.
Rigorous Inspection in Japan - In addition to its ISO certification and all its imported products needing to meet FDA requirements, our producers tea products must also meet the needs of its own food safety agency the Ministry of
Health and Welfare Food Sanitation Division. Food safety is a particularly delicate issue in Japan, which imports 60 percent of its food supply. How strict and good are Japanese food safety practices?
From the New York Times Safe Food for Japan article of Oct 10th 2007: "A report released last week by the House Energy and Commerce Committee cited Japan’s system for monitoring spinach and other Chinese food exports as a possible model for importers in the United States. Last month, a White House working group issued its own report after visiting Tokyo, and even Chinese officials have urged the United States to adopt the Japanese approach.
Citing the Food and Drug Administration, the House report described Japan’s model as the most realistic one for protecting American consumers. “The Japanese system of regulating Chinese food imports does appear to offer better control than that currently used by F.D.A.,” it concluded.
