Quality Assurance

Tea leaves are assessed based on their taste, color, and aroma, which requires advanced sensory evaluation skills. These skills have been passed down through generations, beginning with our founder Riemon Tsuji in 1860, and are now inherited by the current head of the company, Toshihiro Tsuji, the fifth generation. Even today, the head of the company personally oversees the entire process, from procurement to blending (Gogumi), ensuring that all manufacturing is done in-house.

In addition to our unique evaluation techniques, we have established a robust quality management system through microbiological testing and state-of-the-art physicochemical inspections. We have also obtained ISO 22000 certification, prioritizing food safety.

We have set up an in-house quality control room where thorough analytical inspections are conducted at every stage, from procurement to shipment.
The inspections include:

• Sensory tests (appearance, color, aroma, taste)
• Moisture content
• Color difference measurement
• Particle size analysis
• Microbial tests (general bacteria /coliform group /molds and yeasts)
• Residual pesticide tests to comply with various countries’ standards
• Arsenic and heavy metal tests

For export, we investigate each country’s regulations and propose products that meet the standards of the destination market. All raw materials are managed with traceability, tracking pest control history, and conducting residual pesticide testing to ensure accuracy. Additionally, as a contamination prevention measure, we have dedicated millstone lines for each export destination to ensure that no other tea leaves are mixed, maintaining strict control.

Organic JAS (Japanese Agricultural Standards) is a certification based on standards set by Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries. Only tea leaves grown using environmentally friendly farming methods without chemical fertilizers or synthetic pesticides are used. Products that are strictly managed to maintain their organic integrity from production to delivery carry the Organic JAS mark, ensuring that you can enjoy them with confidence.

In the EU, UK, US, Switzerland, Canada, and Taiwan, products certified under Japan’s Organic JAS system can be labeled and distributed as organic under mutual equivalency agreements. In some other countries, it is also possible to display organic labeling based on Japan’s standards. For more details, please feel free to contact us.