Organic certification, harmful substances, pesticides, etc.

Purity, Organic Certification and the Quest for Absolute Cleanliness

When people buy matcha from us, they often ask one very specific question – and it keeps coming up, in many variations but always with the same core: “Could you please send me current lab analyses for heavy metals, pesticides or other residues?”

Fair enough: caring about the purity of a food product is absolutely legitimate – and in our eyes even a good sign. It shows awareness, mindfulness, and the desire to only give your body the very best.

But sometimes it helps to take a step back and look at the bigger picture.

50 grams of matcha per month – and the obsession with control?

Our typical package sizes are 30g or 50g. For many of our customers, a 50g pack easily lasts up to four weeks – and with occasional use, even much longer. Even with daily use, that’s just 50g of matcha per month – exactly 0.05 kilograms.

For comparison: the average person consumes around 1.5 to 2.5 kilograms of food per day. That adds up to about 45 to 75 kilograms per month – bread, fruit, vegetables, coffee, wine, pasta, pizza, snacks and so on.

The share of matcha in all that? Negligible.

And yet: while hardly anyone asks their local bakery for the pesticide levels in the flour or requests a cadmium analysis for their espresso, people keep asking this exact question about matcha – with great seriousness and persistence.

Why is that?

Certified organic. Fully and completely.

At Matchashop – just like all of our Japanese partners – we are certified organic under EU regulations. This means:

• Our suppliers, exporters, importers, and we ourselves are audited independently at least once a year.
• The audits cover not only compliance with organic standards but also residues, processing, storage, supply chain, and labeling requirements.
• This certification is not optional – it’s a legal requirement and costs us a solid four-figure amount every year.

In short: the entire chain from the tea field to your cup is monitored, checked and fully certified organic – black on white.

And what about the few teas in our range that are not organic certified? You can rest assured here too:

Of course, even our non-certified matchas comply with all legal safety limits for food in the EU. This isn’t some “nice to have,” it’s the law – written in black and white in European food regulations. If we were to sell products that didn’t meet those standards, we wouldn’t just face some slap on the wrist – we’d be looking at heavy fines, loss of our business license, or – depending on the severity – even criminal prosecution. Yes, including prison sentences.

In other words: whether you drink our certified or non-certified matchas, you are enjoying legally compliant, safe food. That’s not just a promise – it’s a legal requirement, strictly enforced and regularly audited.

If you’d like to double-check for yourself, you can access and download our current organic certificate anytime – directly via the EU TRACES system:

Click here to view the organic certificate

Matcha from Japan – not vegetables from a roadside stand

Our matcha comes exclusively from Japan. And yes – Japan is not some “developing world” region where food is grown under questionable conditions. On the contrary: Japan is one of the most advanced industrial nations in the world, with extremely strict laws on food quality and consumer protection – very similar to Germany or France.

The Japanese have their very own, almost uncompromising standards when it comes to the quality of their products. And when it comes to matcha – a highly refined, traditional specialty – the standards go far beyond anything most Western consumers are used to. This green treasure isn’t just produced. It’s revered.

Not bulk goods, but ritual

Matcha is not an everyday bulk item like oats or potatoes. It’s a premium, carefully crafted product, enjoyed in small quantities. The idea that precisely this food would be particularly contaminated – so much so that only a lab report could provide peace of mind – is, when you think about it objectively, a little… selective.

Conclusion? With a wink.

Of course it’s good to ask questions. But no – we don’t send out individual lab reports for every shipment. Because this isn’t the Wild West. Because we’re certified. And because, honestly, you probably don’t request acrylamide levels for every cappuccino you drink in a café – or ask your baker for a signed certificate that his scoop is gluten-free.

When you buy matcha from us, you can be sure:

• The teas are organically grown,
• regularly tested,
• processed with great care,
• and sourced exclusively from certified producers in Japan.

In short: you’re not drinking an unknown. You’re drinking Superior Green Tea – as pure as it gets.

And if doubts still remain, just take a look at your grocery list. And take a deep breath. Preferably with a bowl of matcha in hand.