Matcha Tea Lead Free
NOTE: Leaded gasoline wasn’t outlawed in China until the year 2000.
Is Matcha tea lead free?
That depends on where it’s grown. China is one of the world’s top producers of green tea (including matcha) as well as herbal, oolong and black teas, all of which are prone to higher than average levels of lead contamination. Why?
- China didn’t outlaw leaded gasoline until the year 2000.
- China (photo) is one of the most heavily polluted countries on Earth.
- Chinese products may have low quality control standards.
On the other hand, Japanese matcha is grown on well-tended low mountain plateaus that are among the most carefully managed agricultural environments in the world today.
Is tea from China safe to drink?
A well-known tea study involving 1,225 samples of various varieties of Chinese tea found a great many exceeded recommended safety levels for lead:
China Grown Tea > Lead Test Results
- 24% of green tea: unsafe
- 32% of flavored tea: unsafe
- 53% of oolong tea: unsafe
- 59% of black tea: unsafe
Are tea products from China sold in grocery stores here?
All the time. In fact there’s a good chance that most of the green tea (and low grade matcha) that you buy locally came from China. According to a United Nations report, 83% of the green tea found in grocery stores and tea shops around the world comes from China. A 2013 global analysis cited China as the largest tea producing country on Earth with over 38% of the world’s total tea trade.
Where does your matcha tea come from?
Our Tea Lover’s Organic Ceremonial grade matcha is grown in the green mountain fields of Kagoshima near the southern-most tip of Japan (photo) while our Foodie’s and Barista’s matcha come from the lush tea fields near Kyoto, Japan.
Is Japan a major exporter of green tea like China?
Not even close. Even though Japan produces nearly 10% of the green tea grown on Earth very little of it leaves the country. In fact, less than 1% of the world’s green tea exports (including matcha) come from Japan.
In Japan, do you follow any special standards?
You bet. My Matcha Life® adheres to strict food safety standards according to FSSC2200 international regulations which include the North American GMP standards for food quality control. For example, operators and visitors are required to “air shower” and apply special coverings, lab coats and hair-nets before entering our processing facility.
Matcha Tea Lead Free
Is Japanese Matcha tea lead free?
Traces of lead are everywhere, even in our own bodies. No soil on Earth is completely lead free, but the tea fields of Japan are very close. In fact, a study testing 139 Japanese green tea samples for traces of lead found precisely none (zero) that exceeded safe levels.
What do I need to know about lead?
Excessive exposure to lead can cause reduced brain function and motor skills. It’s the most common contaminant in urban soil, mostly from the historic use of lead in gasoline, pipes and paint. Relatively high concentrations are common in the ground around busy roads and older homes. It’s primarily a danger to kids who tend to absorb more of it than adults do.
Is Japanese Matcha safe from radiation?
Ours is, and that’s a good question considering one of Japan’s nuclear power-plants was badly damaged during the Fukushima tsunami in 2011. Luckily, Japan’s famous tea fields are upwind and a long way from the affected site. The Kagoshima fields where My Matcha Life® ceremonial matcha is grown are over 1,000 miles or 1,600 kilometres from the damaged plant. Additionally, that plant is situated on Japan’s east coast where winds and water currents from the west carry the radiation far out to sea (see pic below).
How can you be sure your matcha is radiation free?
There are only two (2) companies whose matcha tea is independently tested by American authorities for radiation related to Fukushima. My Matcha Life® is one of those companies. We also test for traces of heavy metal and bacterial contamination. Hey, we drink My Matcha Life® products every day. And our friends, families and customers do too. We need to know it’s absolutely 100% safe!
Learn how My Matcha Life® matcha tea is produced and its many health benefits.
Order your My Matcha Life® favorites today!
