As we have received a new shipment from Japan, a consumer safety officer of the FDA came over to our warehouse yesterday to examine our green tea.
Due to the current situation surrounding Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant in Japan, the FDA has been taking a very vigorous screening process for imports from Japan and working closely with import brokers and port authorities to continue to ensure that imported food is safe.
We felt very grateful that the FDA took time to come over to our warehouse and assured the safety of our green tea. As the officer continued examining our products with a special device, the radiation count kept showing absolutely "0" with all of our products. We have learned that the scale is set from 0 to 9. "The level 9 is when I would run screaming." said the officer. We laughed.
The officer spent nearly one hour in our "chilled" warehouse thoroughly checking the products and he did not find any trace of contamination. The FDA does not have concerns with the safety of imported food products that are in distributions, and they will continue monitoring all the imports from Japan.
We assure you that we will provide safe green tea in full compliance with FDA regulations and instructions and continue to schedule on-sight examinations.
So enjoy our green tea with no worries.
Have a nice tea time!
For those who are excitedly waiting for Shin Cha, we want to show you some pictures of our tea field at present. Shizuoka is experiencing cold spring weather and it looks like the shoots don’t want to come out of bed yet. They are slowly but steadily growing, and we are very looking forward to seeing the beautiful vibrant green color running across the field soon.
Due to the current situation in Japan, you might be concerned about safety of green tea. In order to deepen your understanding and keep yourself with updates, we would like to suggest you to go to the website of FDA and IAEA. FDA http://www.fda.gov/default.htm IAEA http://www.iaea.org/
The Japanese authorities have taken the necessary measures to ensure that food testing above their established acceptable levels of radio-activity is neither sold to the Japanese public nor exported.
Green tea from Shizuoka prefecture or Japanese green tea in general is safe since most of it is produced in the south part of Japan. Green tea producers like us have not received any restrictions from the government. Business has been running just as usual. In the states, FDA is closely monitoring the situation in Japan and is working with the Japanese government and other U.S. agencies to continue to ensure that imported food remains safe. Based on current information, there is no risk to the U.S. food supply.
FDA already has a very vigilant screening process for imports and has staff in place at the ports to monitor incoming products. FDA does not have concerns with the safety of imported food products that have already reached the U.S. and that are in distribution.
In Europe, although there is no evidence of risk for the consumer by increased radiation levels in food and feed products imported from Japan, the European Union has decided to reinforce controls on imports of food and feed from certain region of Japan. The measure applies to 12 prefectures of Japan, including the four most affected by the accident. All products from these prefectures have to be tested before leaving Japan and will be subject to random testing in the EU. Those prefectures are Fukushima, Gunma, Ibaraki, Tochigi, Miyagi, Yamagata, Niigata, Nagano, Yamanashi, Saitama, Tokyo and Chiba.
We are now officially taking orders of Shin Cha 2011.
We are again offering three kinds of Shin Chas: Temomi Shin Cha, Hashiri Shin Cha and Hachiju Hachiya Shin Cha.
This is a limited offer during the Shin Cha 2011 campaign, and each Shin Cha has limited quantity.
Please note: One shipment per order. All of your item(s) will be shipped out together on the last estimated ship-out date of the latter crop. You must make separate orders if you wish for separate shipping.
Hand-kneaded tea exclusively performed on the first day of the spring harvest
Net Weight: 10g (0.35oz)
Price: $15.00
Estimated Harvest Date: April 20, 2011
Estimated Ship-out Date from Seattle: April 27, 2011
Temomi Shin Cha is a rare tea. Picking of tea leaves, steaming, kneading and drying, they are all done by hands; and it was a common method centuries ago. Today machine has replaced the labor and this Temomi technique is vanishing. If you would like to try the truly traditional taste of green tea, this is definitely your choice.
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Hashiri Shin Cha The first of the first-flash green tea
Net Weight: 50g (1.76oz)
Price: $20.00
Estimated Harvest Date: April 25, 2011
Estimated Ship-out Date from Seattle: May 4, 2011
Hashiri means “early season” in Japanese. Our Hashiri Shin Cha is produced from very young leaves harvested at the end of April. These early-season leaves are very soft and contain a lot of sweetness. This is the taste of spring.
Estimated Harvest Date: May 4, 2011
Estimated Ship-out Date from Seattle: May 14, 2011
Hachiju Hachiya means "88 nights," and refers to the eighty-eighth day after the first day of spring on the traditional Japanese calendar. It is believed that the 88th day is the best time to pick tea, and Hachiju Hachiya Shin Cha is prized as high-quality green tea.
Born July 28, 1980 as a 2nd son of Japanese tea master, Hiroyuki Sugimoto. He dreamed of being a teacher until he visited Seattle with his father at 22. During the trip, he was shocked to realize that the green tea he took for granted in Japan was nowhere to be found. This radically changed his awareness of the importance of quality green tea that is not only good for you, but also heartedly enjoyed. Back in Japan he jumped into the family business and acquired green tea expertise through the working experience in his father’s factory. His father trained him to taste a variety of green teas and developed his sense of taste. In 2008 he was certified as Japanese Tea Adviser and now with his father, introduces authentic Japanese green tea to American consumers as an element of a quality lifestyle.
As we have received a new shipment from Japan, a consumer safety officer of the FDA came over to our warehouse yesterday to examine our green tea.
