heavy metals in matcha: why most brands don't show you their lab results

"Pure." "Clean." "Premium." Almost every matcha brand uses these words. But when you ask for proof, the answer is often silence. In a product you drink as a whole leaf, that's a problem.

Why heavy metals are a matcha question

Tea plants take up minerals from the soil, and with them small traces of heavy metals like lead and cadmium. With most teas you only drink an infusion. With matcha you drink the entire ground leaf, so whatever the leaf took up ends up in your cup. How much depends on where and how the tea is grown. We explain the basics in does matcha contain heavy metals?

What a lab test actually checks

A proper heavy metal test for tea looks at four elements:

• Lead (Pb)
• Cadmium (Cd)
• Arsenic (As)
• Mercury (Hg)

The results are compared with the legal maximum levels set by the European Union in EU Regulation 2023/915. A matcha that sits well within those limits is safe to enjoy as part of a normal routine.

Why "tested once" isn't enough

Tea is an agricultural product. Every harvest, every field and every batch is a little different. A single test from years ago says nothing about the tin in your kitchen today. That's why the question isn't "is it tested?" but "is every batch tested?"

Why so few brands share their results

Testing every batch at an accredited lab costs time and money, and sharing the results means being held to them. It's easier to print "lab-tested" on a pack and leave it there. Organic certification doesn't solve this either: it guarantees no synthetic pesticides or fertilisers, but says nothing about heavy metals in the soil.

How to spot a transparent matcha brand

1. It tells you the region, not just "Japan".
2. It names the lab that tests the tea.
3. It tests every batch, not once.
4. It tells you what the test checks for (Pb, Cd, As, Hg) and which standard it's measured against.
5. It shares the results when you ask.

How we do it

Every batch of our matcha is tested by Eurofins, one of Europe's most recognised accredited food safety laboratories, for lead, cadmium, arsenic and mercury. Our results sit well within the European limits of EU Regulation 2023/915. Our matcha is also certified organic (SKAL, NL-BIO-01) and sourced directly from farms we know in Japan. Read more about that in where does your matcha really come from?

We'd rather show you than ask you to trust us. Want to see the results for your batch? Email us at drink@asa-matcha.com.