Start with the tea, not the pouch
Most private label conversations start with artwork and end with a question nobody asked early enough: which matcha is in the bag, and will it be the same matcha in six months? Decide that first. For a retail pouch you want a lot you can reorder for a year, not the smallest or rarest one in the catalog. For most brands that means one café grade for the latte pouch and, if the range stretches to two, one ceremonial for the usucha tin. Sample three, taste them the way your customer will, and read the buying guide before you design anything.
The lot you choose decides the minimum. Our bulk minimum is 1 kg for most lots and 10 kg for the halal and kosher certified line (Wa, Mai, Mine, Kaoru, Yame, Kamui). Private label adds a label minimum on top; the pouch minimum is whichever is higher.
Formats and minimums
| Format | Size | Your label from | Tea in the run | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail pouch | 30 g, nitrogen-flushed foil, resealable | 200 units (sticker) · 1,000 (full print) | 6 kg at 200 units | Shelf, e-commerce, gift |
| Foil bag | 100 g, 235 × 140 mm, resealable | 200 units (sticker) · 1,000 (full print) | 20 kg at 200 units | Grocers, roasters' shelves, café retail |
| Bulk foil | 1 kg, 320 × 200 mm, resealable | The lot's bulk MOQ (1 or 10 kg) | 1 kg per unit | Distributors, chains, your own bar bag |
Two label routes. A sticker label, front and back, printed and applied in Osaka, from 200 units; this is how most brands start, because the artwork can change between runs. A full-print pouch, where your design is printed on the film itself, from 1,000 units per design; cheaper per unit at volume and cleaner on a shelf, but the design is locked once printed. We do not change the pouch size or structure, so the template is fixed and the artwork adapts to it.
Lead times: what takes two weeks and what takes six
- Samples and cupping: 3 to 7 days for samples to arrive, then however long you need to decide.
- Quote: tea, pouches, labels and labelling on one page, within 1 business day of your format and run size.
- Artwork and proof: your front design on our template (AI or PDF, 3 mm bleed, text outlined); we supply the back panel text for your market and send a digital proof. Usually 3 to 10 days, driven by your side.
- Production: sticker runs ship about 2 weeks after proof approval; full-print pouches about 6 weeks, because the film is printed to order.
- Transit: 3 to 8 days by courier, 2 to 6 weeks by sea for pallets.
A first sticker-label run can be on your shelf in five to six weeks from the first email; a full-print run is closer to ten. Standing orders for monthly runs reserve the tea and fix its price for the harvest year, which matters more for a retail brand than for a café because your shelf price is printed.
What the back panel must say, by market
The front is yours. The back panel is regulated, and it is the part we help with: we supply the compliant ingredient panel in English, Japanese, French or Arabic, and you have it checked by whoever signs off on labels in your market. The common lines are the same everywhere: product name, ingredient list (for plain matcha, one ingredient), net weight, best-before date, storage, lot number, country of origin and the name and address of the business responsible in the country of sale.
| Market | What is specific | Language |
|---|---|---|
| United States | FDA labelling: statement of identity, net quantity in both US and metric units, ingredient statement, name and place of business of the distributor; a Nutrition Facts panel unless the product qualifies for an exemption | English |
| Canada | Bilingual mandatory information; metric net quantity; the importer's name and address | English and French |
| EU | FIC Regulation 1169/2011; EU business address; organic leaf logo and control body code if organic | Language of the country of sale |
| United Kingdom | Retained FIC rules; UK business address; organic claims need the UK COI and a registered importer | English |
| UAE and Saudi Arabia | Arabic mandatory alongside any other language; production and expiry dates; halal mark only if licensed | Arabic |
| Japan (for reference) | JAS and Food Labelling Standard; our own 30 g pouch is labelled this way for issamatcha.jp | Japanese |
Claims you can and cannot print
- Origin. Product of Japan is true for every lot we sell, and the prefecture (Kagoshima, Yame in Fukuoka, Shizuoka) can go on the label when the lot is single-origin. For a blend across prefectures, say Japan.
- Harvest and cultivar. First harvest, second harvest, Yutakamidori, Saemidori: all fine, because they are on the spec sheet.
- Organic. Only on a JAS-certified lot such as Jun, Mori, Sawa or Daichi, and only with the import paperwork (NOP certificate for the US, COI for the EU and UK) and, where required, your own organic registration. The JAS or USDA logo itself needs the certifier's permission.
- Halal and kosher. The certificates belong to the mill. Printing the mark on your pack usually needs a licence from the certifying body in your name; we send the mill's certificate so you can apply, and we do not print marks you are not licensed to use.
- Ceremonial grade. Legal everywhere because it is defined nowhere. We would rather you print the harvest and cultivar.
- Health claims. Antioxidant, detox, weight loss and similar are regulated claims in the US, the EU and the UK. Leave them off.
What it costs on top of the tea
The tea is priced per kilogram as on the product page, FOB Osaka: Wa at $275 per kg, for example, with volume tiers from 20 kg. Pouches, labels and labelling are quoted separately per run and depend on format and quantity; sticker runs cost more per unit than full print, and 30 g pouches cost more per kilo of tea than 100 g bags because there are more of them. Ask with your format and first-run size and the whole thing comes back on one page. Freight and duty are the same as for bulk and are set out on the wholesale page by region.
Five mistakes that cost a reprint
- Printing 1,000 full-print pouches before the tea is confirmed for the year, then changing lots and needing a new harvest line.
- A barcode that was never registered, or a UPC printed too small to scan.
- Net weight in grams only for the US, or in ounces only for everyone else.
- A best-before printed as a fixed date on the film instead of stamped per batch.
- An organic or halal logo on the pack before the licence exists.
If you are weighing a first run, request samples of the two or three lots you are considering and tell us the format and country of sale in the form. The quote, the MOQ for that tea and a sample back panel come back together.
Questions buyers ask
What is the minimum order for private label matcha?
200 units per design with a sticker label, which is about 6 kg of tea in 30 g pouches or 20 kg in 100 g bags, or the tea's bulk minimum if higher (1 kg for most lots, 10 kg for the halal and kosher certified line). Full-print pouches start at 1,000 units.
How long does a private label run take?
Sticker runs ship about 2 weeks after the proof is approved; full-print pouches about 6 weeks. Add courier time of 3 to 8 days. A first sticker run is realistic in five to six weeks from the first email.
Can I print organic or halal on my matcha pouch?
Organic only on a JAS-certified lot and with the import paperwork for your market; the logo needs the certifier's permission. Halal and kosher certificates belong to the mill, and printing the mark usually needs a licence in your own name. We send the certificates so you can apply.
Do you write the back label?
Yes. We supply the compliant ingredient panel in English, Japanese, French or Arabic with the mandatory lines for your market. A local label check before retail sale is still recommended.
