Reviewed by: Takahiro Sugiyama (CEO, meguri Inc.)
Once a café’s latte gets a following, the next question is often whether the same matcha can go into tins or pouches under the café’s own name. Selling Japanese matcha under your own brand is called private label matcha or white label matcha in English, and OEM or private brand in Japanese. Even when a Japanese supplier makes the contents, the label and registration in the country of sale are the seller’s responsibility. Sorting out early who decides what makes the project easier to run. The basics of buying are in Matcha Wholesale.
What is private label matcha? How it differs from OEM and white label
Private label matcha is matcha made by another company and sold under your shop’s name. The names differ by who decides what goes inside. None of the names has a legal definition, so check the content in contracts and quotes.
Three common names
| Name | Who decides the contents | Can other shops get the same contents? |
|---|---|---|
| White label | The supplier. You choose from ready-made products | Sometimes |
| Private label | Your shop. The blend and specification are made to order | Depends on the agreement |
| OEM | The maker’s term. The contents are set by contract | Depends on the agreement |
White label means putting your label on matcha the supplier already sells. There is no trial production, so you can start quickly. Private label means having the matcha made with the harvest season, origin and gōgumi (blending several teas to keep the taste consistent) decided by your order. OEM means “making and delivering goods under the client’s brand” from the maker’s side, and Japanese tea merchants also use the term on their websites.
What to confirm in the contract
Rather than the name, confirm these three points in writing.
- Who set the blend and specification, and who keeps the record of it
- Whether the same blend is also sold to other shops (or is exclusive to you)
- Whether the supplier also packs and labels, or you receive only the contents
How a private label matcha is made
The order is samples, specification, packaging, label, lot (the amount made in one run), production and shipping. The time it takes changes a lot with the number of trial rounds and whether new packaging has to be made.
What to decide at each of the seven steps
| Step | What to decide | Who decides |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Samples | Candidates to compare in the menu you will use them for (straight, latte, sweets) | Your shop |
| 2. Specification | Harvest season, origin, grinding method, color and test items | Your shop and the supplier |
| 3. Packaging | Pouch or tin, content weight, oxygen absorbers | Your shop and the supplier |
| 4. Label | Required label items in the country of sale, design, where it is applied | Your shop (the importer) |
| 5. Lot | How much to make in one run, and when to order next | Your shop and the supplier |
| 6. Production | Grinding, filling, labelling | The supplier |
| 7. Shipping | Delivery terms, import procedures | Your shop and the supplier |
The OEM process published by a Japanese tea merchant follows the same pattern: after the inquiry, the merchant hears your needs, plans the product including the price range, proposes matcha, repeats trial production several times, then moves to quote and order, production and delivery. Because each trial is tasted and adjusted, starting from the blend takes longer than putting a label on a ready-made product.
Where the time goes
The parts that are hard to schedule are the number of trial rounds, sourcing the packaging, and registration in the importing country. Branded tins and printed pouches depend on the packaging maker’s production time, and in Thailand a food registration number is obtained for each product. The number of days varies by supplier and packaging, so ask for the days needed at each step when you get a quote. How to request samples is covered in the section on getting and comparing samples in Matcha Wholesale.
What to put in the specification
In the specification, write the harvest season, origin, grinding method, color, particle fineness and test items, not a grade name such as “ceremonial”. Grade names have no official standard, and the same name can mean different contents from one supplier to the next.
Items to write down
| Item | Example |
|---|---|
| Raw material | Whether it is matcha made from tencha (shaded tea leaves dried without rolling, the raw material for matcha) |
| Harvest season | First flush only, or the share of second flush if blended |
| Origin | Prefecture or region |
| Grinding | Stone mill or machine |
| Color and particles | The values the supplier measures, and how they are measured |
| Blend | Keep a record of the agreed blend, and whether the next lot uses the same blend |
| Tests | Certificate of analysis (COA: test results for each lot, such as components and microbes), pesticide residues, heavy metals |
The Japan Tea Central Public Interest Incorporated Association’s Green Tea Labelling Standard defines matcha as tencha ground into a fine powder with a tea mill or similar, but it does not set grades. How grades relate to harvest season and grinding is explained in Matcha Grades.
Keep the next lot tasting the same
If you keep selling under your own brand, what matters is whether the next lot can be made to the same specification. The taste of the raw tea changes by harvest season and year, so the supplier keeps the taste consistent through blending. Write in the specification that the blend is recorded and used for the next lot, and that you will be told in advance of any change.
Documents to get from your Japanese supplier
With a private label matcha, your shop is responsible for showing that the product meets the standards of the country of sale, so ask the supplier for test and production documents. Each is issued per lot or per factory, so ask whether they can be provided before you order.
| Document | When it is used |
|---|---|
| Certificate of analysis (COA) | Checking quality for each lot |
| Pesticide residue test results | Comparing with the limits of the importing country |
| Heavy metal (lead and others) test results | Comparing with the limits of the importing country |
| Proof of origin | Using the tariff exemption under the Japan-Thailand Economic Partnership Agreement (JTEPA) in Thailand |
| Proof of the production facility | Such as the GMP certificate needed for food registration in Thailand |
| Organic certificate | When the label says “organic” |
According to JETRO (the Japan External Trade Organization), tea in Thailand is classed as a food under quality standard control and needs a food registration number. A GMP certificate is also required at import. Checking pesticide residues against the importing country’s limits is covered in Matcha Wholesale, and how to read lead test documents in Matcha Lead Testing.
Choosing packaging and setting the best-before date
Choose packaging that keeps out light, moisture and oxygen, and set the best-before date on the basis of that packaging and the storage temperature. Even with the same matcha, changing the packaging changes the basis for the date.
Packaging options
| Packaging | Suited to |
|---|---|
| Aluminium pouch (zip or gusseted) | Large bags for café use, small bags for retail |
| Tin or tea canister | Retail products and gifts |
| Single-serve sticks | One-cup samples and online sales |
| Oxygen absorber | A small sachet that absorbs oxygen in the bag. Used with a pouch or tin |
| Nitrogen flushing | Replacing the air in the bag with nitrogen before sealing |
Yamamasa Koyamaen, a tea merchant in Kyoto, guarantees an 8-month best-before date for its matcha sealed with an oxygen absorber, if unopened and kept away from high temperatures. In a storage study published in the Tea Research Journal, the oxygen in the bag fell faster at higher temperatures, and the researchers presumed that the green pigment broke down in the presence of oxygen. Storage times by temperature and signs of deterioration are covered in Matcha Shelf Life.
Who sets the date
Guidelines from Japan’s Consumer Affairs Agency say that the date should be set scientifically, taking into account the form of the container and packaging and the storage conditions, and that for imported food the importer is responsible for setting it. This is Japan’s system, but the approach is also a useful reference in export markets. If you open a large bag and repack it into small units, you cannot simply reuse the date the supplier set for the large bag. If you plan to repack, decide at the start where and by whom it will be done.
Label rules in Singapore and Thailand
With a private label matcha, your shop, as the importer, is responsible for meeting the label requirements of the country of sale. Singapore requires English and Thailand requires Thai, and both require the importer’s name and address.
Singapore
According to the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) labelling guide, prepacked food for retail must show the following items, among others, in English.
| Label item | Points to watch for a private label |
|---|---|
| Name of the food | Add a name that says what the food is, not just a brand name or coined name |
| Net quantity | Written as, for example, “Net weight: 30g” |
| Responsible business in Singapore | Name and address of the importer, distributor or agent. A phone number or URL cannot replace it |
| Country of origin | For matcha packed in Japan, for example “Product of Japan” |
| Lot identification | Required from 30 January 2026. The format is not fixed, and a lot number or date mark can be used |
A statement of ingredients is also required. If matcha ground in Japan is imported and repacked in Singapore, the label can say “Product of Japan. Packed in Singapore”. However, the SFA states that a business that repacks food by breaking the primary packaging needs a licence to operate a food processing establishment.
The SFA licensing page states: if your business activity involves repacking food products, which involves breaking the primary packaging, you will require a Licence to Operate a Food Processing Establishment.
Source: Singapore Food Agency, “Businesses that Need Licence / Registration for Food Manufacturing & Storage” https://www.sfa.gov.sg/food-manufacturing-storage/licence--registration
Having your Japanese supplier pack small bags involves fewer procedures in Singapore than repacking from large bags in your shop. Import registration and permits, and the conditions for putting an English sticker on Japanese packaging, are explained in How to Import Matcha into Singapore.
Thailand
Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health Notification No. 450 (in force from July 2024) requires prepacked food imported for sale to be labelled in Thai. Other languages can be added.
| Label item | Content |
|---|---|
| Name of the food | In Thai |
| Food registration number | The registration number from the Thai Food and Drug Administration (Thai FDA), shown inside the prescribed frame |
| Importer and manufacturer | The importer’s name and address, plus the manufacturer’s name and country |
| Net quantity | In metric units. Net weight for solid food |
| Date | With the words “ควรบริโภคก่อน” (best before) or “หมดอายุ” (expiry) |
Source: Ministry of Public Health Notification No. 450 (B.E. 2567), Labelling of prepacked food, clause 5 (in Thai) https://food.fda.moph.go.th/media.php?id=654869394207416320&name=P450.pdf
In Thailand, food registration numbers are issued per importing establishment, and if the importer gives up its import licence, all registration numbers under it lapse as well. This is set out in a Thai FDA regulation, so whose import licence and registration numbers your private label product is imported under matters as much as who owns the brand. If you use an import agent, confirm before signing what happens to the numbers if you stop using that agent. Duties and quota procedures are covered in the Thailand section of Matcha Wholesale.
What the Japanese side provides
Your shop decides the wording of the label, but only the Japanese supplier has the information about the contents. Get the ingredients, net quantity, manufacturer’s name and address, how lot numbers are assigned, and the best-before date with the storage conditions it assumes, in writing from the supplier. If the label is applied in Japan, check at the proof stage that the importer’s name and address and the registration number are correct.
Wording to avoid on the label
On a private label, avoid grade names, organic claims, origin names and health claims that you cannot back up. Singapore’s regulations prohibit words or marks that mislead about the nature, purity, origin or effects of a food.
“Ceremonial” has no definition
A ceremonial grade is not defined in Japan’s industry labelling standard or in ISO 20715, the international standard that classifies tea types. If you put it on the label, place it next to facts you can show in the specification and test documents, such as first flush only or stone-ground. How grade names are used in practice is covered in Matcha Grades.
“Organic” needs a certificate
The SFA labelling guide says food labelled “organic” or similar must be accompanied by a certificate under a certification system in line with the Codex (international food standards) guidelines on organic food. Even for matcha certified under Japan’s organic JAS standard, Singapore and Thailand are not among the countries that have organic equivalence arrangements with Japan.
Origin names and health claims
Use an origin name such as “Uji” only after checking the supplier’s documents to confirm the matcha meets the definition of Uji matcha (What Is Uji Matcha?). In Singapore, nutrition claims such as “Low in calories” follow the rules of the Health Promotion Board (HPB) and also require nutrition labelling. Claims that eating the food brings health or a better physical condition are prohibited under Singapore’s regulations.
How the minimum order affects the unit price
The unit price of a private label matcha is the cost of the tea plus packaging, filling, labels, testing and shipping, and the fewer units you make, the higher the cost per unit. This is because fixed costs such as printing plates and setup, which do not change with the number made, are divided by fewer units.
Cost breakdown
| Cost | How it relates to quantity |
|---|---|
| Tea | Proportional to the amount used |
| Packaging (pouches, tins) | Per unit. Branded or printed packaging may have its own minimum |
| Filling and labelling | Per unit |
| Label and printing plates, design | The same regardless of quantity |
| Testing (COA, pesticide residues and others) | Per lot |
| Shipping and import procedures | Mostly per shipment |
The minimum order may be set separately for the tea, the packaging and the labels. If you ask for the minimum and unit price of each part, and one-off costs such as printing plates, as separate lines in the quote, you can compare unit prices when the order size changes.
Starting small
If you start by putting labels on ready-made plain pouches or tins, and switch to branded tins or printed pouches once you see how they sell, you avoid holding packaging with a large minimum from the start. Decide stock levels by how much you can use up after opening and the temperature at which you can store it (Matcha Shelf Life).
At Omakase Matcha
Omakase Matcha sells matcha wholesale from 1kg, sourced directly from the growing regions of Uji, Yame, Kagoshima, Shizuoka and Miyazaki. You can request up to three samples, and we also adjust the blend to suit your shop’s menu. For shops in Singapore and Thailand, we visit and taste the matcha with you in your actual drinks.
Sources
- Singapore Food Agency, “A Guide to Food Labelling and Advertisements” https://www.sfa.gov.sg/docs/default-source/food-information/labelling-and-packaging-information/a-guide-to-food-labelling-and-advertisements.pdf
- Singapore Food Agency, “Businesses that Need Licence / Registration for Food Manufacturing & Storage” https://www.sfa.gov.sg/food-manufacturing-storage/licence--registration
- Ministry of Public Health Notification No. 450 (B.E. 2567), Labelling of prepacked food (in Thai) https://food.fda.moph.go.th/media.php?id=654869394207416320&name=P450.pdf
- Thai Food and Drug Administration, Regulation on food registration numbers (B.E. 2567, in Thai) https://food.fda.moph.go.th/media.php?id=654871674310762496&name=fda-regulation-67.pdf
- JETRO, “茶の輸入規制、輸入手続き（タイ）” (Import regulations and procedures for tea, Thailand, in Japanese) https://www.jetro.go.jp/world/asia/th/foods/exportguide/greentea.html
- Consumer Affairs Agency, “食品期限表示の設定のためのガイドライン” (Guidelines for setting food date labels, March 2025, in Japanese) https://www.caa.go.jp/policies/policy/food_labeling/food_labeling_act/assets/food_labeling_cms201_250328_1029.pdf
- Japan Tea Central Public Interest Incorporated Association, “緑茶の表示基準” (Green Tea Labelling Standard, in Japanese) https://www.nihon-cha.or.jp/pdf/hyoujikijyun.pdf
- MAFF, “有機認証制度の同等性について” (Equivalence of organic certification systems, in Japanese) https://www.maff.go.jp/j/jas/jas_kikaku/attach/pdf/yuuki-555.pdf
- Yamamasa Koyamaen, “抹茶の取扱い” (Handling matcha, in Japanese) https://www.yamamasa-koyamaen.co.jp/matcha/basic/handling.html
- Yasuhiro Haraguchi et al., “原料抹茶の保存条件が品質に与える影響” (Effects of storage conditions on the quality of matcha), Tea Research Journal No. 93 (2002, in Japanese) https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/cha1953/2002/93/2002_93_1/_pdf
- Hottaen, “商品開発” (Product development, in Japanese) https://www.hottaen.jp/product/development.html
