Most buyers who get burned by a matcha supplier were not unlucky. They skipped four checks that take about an hour to run. This page walks through those checks, shows the red flags that show up again and again, and then lays out the credentials behind Terra Matcha so you can hold us to the same standard.
Anyone can send a beautiful catalogue. These four checks separate a supplier you can build a product on from one you will be chasing in six months.
Ask for the certificate number and certifying body, then look it up in that body's own registry. Confirm the certificate names matcha powder as the product — not just "tea" — and check the validity date. A scanned certificate with no traceable number is decoration.
A real COA gives colour values (L*a*b*), D50/D90 particle size, moisture, ash, caffeine, and a full microbiology panel. If the document only lists moisture and ash, it is a sales sheet, not an analysis. Check that the batch number matches the bag.
"We have a factory" is not the same as "your order will be produced in this factory." Ask for the production site address, then request a video walkthrough or a third-party audit of that specific site. Trading companies will often resist this step — that resistance is the answer.
Ask for COAs from three different production dates. Compare colour values and particle size across them. A supplier who can only show one perfect batch, or whose L*a*b* values swing widely, will give you a product that changes colour between deliveries.
Use this table on any supplier call. The right-hand column is what we will show you if you ask.
| Check | What to Ask | Terra Matcha |
|---|---|---|
| Legal entity | Full registered company name and business licence | Terra Matcha (Qingdao) Supply Chain Co., Ltd., Qingdao Free Trade Zone |
| Production site | Where exactly is the powder ground and packed? | Milling and packing at our partner mill in Zhejiang; Qingdao (Shandong) is our QC, documentation and export office. Audit and video walkthrough welcome at the mill. |
| Capacity | Annual tonnage and peak-season availability | Roughly 5,000 metric tons per year at the partner mill, with safety stock held for key grades |
| Certifications | Which certifications, for which grades, verifiable where? | USDA NOP organic, HALAL, FSSC 22000; EU organic for Uji1 and Uji3 — certificates and numbers provided on request |
| Quality testing | What does the COA actually test, and who tests it? | Colour L*a*b*, D50/D90, moisture, ash, caffeine, full microbiology panel, per batch |
| Traceability | Can you trace a bag back to a production lot? | Batch numbers on every unit, reference samples retained for 24 months |
| Export experience | Which markets, which Incoterms, which documents? | North America, Middle East, Southeast Asia and Australia; FOB as standard, CIF/DAP on request; batch specification sheet, MSDS, CO, health and phytosanitary certificates |
| Response standard | How fast do you answer a technical question? | Quotation within 24 hours, samples dispatched in 3–5 working days |
Japan cannot currently supply enough tencha to meet global demand, and genuine Uji matcha carries a price to match. If the origin claim is "Uji, Japan" but the price sits at Chinese cultivar levels, one of those two statements is false. Ask for the export certificate from Japan — not a farm photo.
Organic claims are the most commonly faked credential in the category. A certificate that cannot be looked up in the certifier's registry is not a certificate. This is also the item most likely to get your own product pulled from a retail shelf.
Anyone can send a single flattering lab report. Ask for three COAs from different production dates and compare the colour values. Consistency across batches is the difference between a product you can put on a menu and one you have to reformulate every quarter.
Hold us to the checklist above. Here is what we can document.
Leaf comes from contracted gardens in Zhejiang growing Yabukita, Samidori, Longjing 43 and Maojian, shaded and steamed in the Japanese method, with plot-level records available for audit. The result is a flavour profile built for matcha — deep umami, low bitterness, stable colour — rather than a green tea powder ground fine.
Capacity matters most in a shortage. Global tencha supply has been tight since 2024, and buyers on small allocations get cut first. Our partner mill's output, plus safety stock we hold for contracted grades, is what keeps allocations steady through a tight season.
USDA NOP organic and HALAL across the range, FSSC 22000 at the production mill, and EU organic for Uji1 and Uji3 only — with certificate numbers so you can check them in the certifier's own database rather than trusting a PDF.
North America, the UK, the EU, Australia, and the Middle East are our largest markets. That means we have already solved the customs, labelling, and documentation problems you are about to encounter.
Latte, tea ceremony, dessert or supplement — each needs a different grade. Send your target price and volume and we will shortlist two or three grades rather than dumping the full catalogue on you.
Paid samples ship in 3–5 working days with the matching batch specification sheet, so you can taste and measure the same lot.
Book a third-party audit or a live video walkthrough of the production line, storage, and packing areas before you place a commercial order.
Begin at 50 kg, validate consistency across the first two deliveries, then move to volume pricing or an annual supply agreement.
Ask for the certificate numbers, three COAs from different batches, and a video walkthrough. We would rather answer hard questions now than lose you in six months.
Request Credentials & SamplesTake the certificate number and the certifying body's name, then search that body's own registry — not the PDF the supplier emailed you. Confirm the certificate lists matcha powder as the product and that it is still within its validity period.
Colour values (L*a*b*), D50 and D90 particle size, moisture, ash, caffeine, and a microbiology panel covering total plate count, coliforms, yeast and mould, salmonella, and E. coli — plus a batch number that matches the packaging and the lab that ran the test.
Yes. We accept SGS, Bureau Veritas, or Intertek audits and live video walkthroughs before a first order. Ask to see the production line, cold storage, packing room, and lot traceability records.
China grows the same cultivars at far larger scale and lower land and labour cost, so a comparable grade can genuinely cost less. The price only becomes a red flag when it comes with vague origin claims or unverifiable certificates. Judge the powder by its analytical data and your own cupping.
It matters for traceability and consistency. A trading company adds a layer between you and the production line, which makes audits and batch control harder. Ask which factory your order will be produced in, and request that factory's certification documents.
Samples are dispatched within 3–5 working days with the matching batch specification sheet. Courier transit is normally 7–15 days door to door, confirmed against your address at order stage.
Pricing tiers, MOQ, and how a wholesale order runs from quote to delivery.
Eleven grades across the Uji and A series, with application guidance.
Launch your own matcha brand with custom blends and packaging.
How partners in New Zealand and the Middle East took our powder to market.