Organic matcha: how to check if it really is

"Organic" is a protected term. Unlike "ceremonial grade," "premium," or
"artisan," it is not freely used: its use is governed by European Regulation
2018/848, and it requires mandatory labeling on the packaging.

The good news is that these labels are easy to read once you know where to
look. And they are publicly verifiable.

The three mandatory labels

On every pre-packaged organic food product sold in the European Union, three
elements must appear together, within the same field of vision.

The Euro-leaf. The green logo with stars in the shape of a leaf. This is
the official organic farming logo of the European Union. It is mandatory,
and it alone is authoritative — private logos, mentions like "natural,"
"pesticide-free," or "ecological" prove nothing.

The certification body's code. Just below the Euro-leaf, in the format
`XX-BIO-NNN`. The first two letters are the country of the body, the three
digits its identifier. In France, `FR-BIO-01` corresponds to Ecocert France,
`FR-BIO-09` to Certipaq, `FR-BIO-10` to Certisud, and so on.

The origin statement. Just below: "EU Agriculture," "Non-EU
Agriculture," or "EU/Non-EU Agriculture" depending on the origin of the
agricultural ingredients. When all ingredients come from the same country,
that country can be named — hence the "Japanese Agriculture" you will see on
our packaging.

If one of the three is missing, the product is not regularly labeled. This
is not a matter of form: it is the only proof that someone has actually
controlled the supply chain.

What the code tells you

The code does not designate the producer: it designates the body that
certified the last operator who prepared the product.

This is an important nuance and often misunderstood. If Japanese matcha is
packaged or labeled in France by a company certified by Ecocert France, the
code displayed will be `FR-BIO-01` — even if the tea itself grows 9,000
kilometers away. This does not mean the tea is French: the origin statement,
just below, is there for that purpose.

This is our case. Our matchas come from Japan, and we label them ourselves
in France under our own certification. This is a choice: it involves an
annual audit of our site, but it makes us directly responsible for what is
written on the packaging. The details of the Japanese producing
regions explain why we source from Aichi and Kagoshima.

Verify a certificate in two minutes

This is the part that almost no one does, even though it is public and free.

French side. Agence Bio publishes a directory of all notified operators
in France. You search for the company name and get its organic number, its
certifying body, and its status. An operator not listed in this directory is
not allowed to market organic products.

Body side. Each certifying body provides a search engine for the
certificates it issues. You can find the company name, validity period, and
covered activities.

The certificate itself. A serious operator will provide it to you upon
request. Check the validity date, the exact company name, and that the
listed activities correspond to what they do.

Ours are published directly on the Transparency &
Certificates page — both ours and those of our Japanese producer. Our
three certified grades are combined in the Discovery Trio.

Warning signs

No Euro-leaf, but the word "bio" everywhere. Most common, especially on
marketplaces. No value.

An unknown organic logo. Some countries have their own logo — Japanese
JAS, for example — but for sales in the European Union, the Euro-leaf and
certifying code remain mandatory.

A certifying code without an origin statement. The three elements go
together.

No operator address. The identity and address of the person responsible
for labeling are mandatory on all pre-packaged goods, organic or not.

Refusal to provide the certificate. There is no legitimate reason to refuse
a document that is public by nature.

Organic does not mean good quality

One last thing, because it is a source of confusion.

Organic certification relates to the production method: no synthetic
pesticides, no chemical fertilizers, annual control of the supply chain. It
says nothing about the harvest, the shading duration, the fineness of the grind,
or the freshness.

There are excellent non-organic matchas and mediocre organic matchas. The two
criteria are independent and must be verified separately — the first on the
label, the second in the bowl. If you are new to matcha, our beginner's
guide helps distinguish between the two.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Japanese JAS logo sufficient?
No, for sales in the European Union. The Euro-leaf and certifying code are
also required.

What does "Non-EU Agriculture" mean?
That agricultural ingredients come from countries outside the European Union.
This is in no way a defect: this is the case for all Japanese tea.

Is organic matcha free of residues?
Certification prohibits the use of synthetic pesticides and imposes controls.
Serious operators have multi-residue analyses carried out in independent
laboratories and make them available. Ask for them.

Can I verify a foreign operator myself?
Yes. Every operator exporting organic products to the European Union holds a
certificate issued by a recognized body, with a number. Ask for it and verify
it with the issuing body.

AICHIMY STUDIO is notified with Agence Bio under number 307849 and certified
by Ecocert France, code FR-BIO-01. Our certificates and analyses can be
consulted on Transparency & Certificates.