IN-HOUSE FACTORY

ACQUIRED FSSC 22000 AND ORGANIC JAS CERTIFICATIONS

The factory has acquired FSSC 22000 and organic JAS certifications and passed stringent hygiene standards to ensure "food safety".
We comply with the HACCP system, a method of controlling each process from raw materials to finished products that leads to the prevention of potential hazards in food products.
The tea leaves are processed using state-of-the-art equipment customized for our company to deliver high quality tea.

FEATURES OF MANUFACTURING

Guarantee Safety and Assurance

FSSC 22000 Certification and Organic JAS Certification

Carefully Selected Equipment

Clean Environment

Hygienic Production Lines that also Meet Stringent HACCP Standards

Production lines incorporating hygiene management, product safety assurance, facility equipment maintenance, and food defense measures have been established. Hazards are anticipated in advance for all processes from receiving raw materials to manufacturing and shipping, critical control points are identified to prevent such hazards, and these points are continuously monitored and recorded.

MANUFACTURING PROCESS

Raw material arrival:

Only raw materials that pass various tests, including radiation and pesticide residue tests are used.

Sorting:

Aracha (raw tea) is a mixture of various shapes and sizes and is sifted and cut to shape and made uniform.

Roasting:

Dries the tea and at the same time brings out the unique tea flavor and aroma and adjusts the color.

Blending:

Adjustment, blending and homogenization of the product.

Pulverize (matcha and powder only)

When the tea is ground to a fine powder using a millstone or pulverizer, a finer-grained matcha with a better color is obtained by sieving and carefully controlling the temperature.

Quality control:

Inspections are conducted for color, flavor and bacteria from the stage of receiving raw materials to the manufacturing process.
The processed tea is then subject to a sensory inspection by several tea judging specialists.

Packing:

The products are packed using nitrogen filling to ensure that quality is not compromised.

Delivery:

Products are delivered to the customer on time.

MANUFACTURING EQUIPMENT

Millstone room

Matcha is very delicate and should not be stored in a hot or humid environment.
Air conditioners with duct are used to ensure uniform temperature and humidity for thorough management.
Millstones made of high-quality granite, carefully selected by stone artisans, are ideal for producing fine-grained matcha.
The sliding portion of the millstone is processed by ultrasonic waves to ensure that the grinding grooves are even, which enables grinding of high-quality matcha with stability. By setting separators for a set of several millstones and using numbers to control the rooms, a safe environment has been created by preventing the mixing of other raw materials.

Foreing Material Remover

In conventional tea production lines, foreing objects were detected visually and removed by human workers, which required skill.
In introducing the latest foreing material remover, we discussed with the machine manufacturer countless times with the data of foreign objects collected by then to find out the best settings, so that the new automated machine can detect and remove the foreign objects as properly as our skilled workers.
We're aiming for zero complaints from our clients by providing products that are completely safe and reliable.

Powdered Tea Filler

Bagging of powdered teas at Hotta Katsutaro Shoten used to be all done manually by human workers, but it took a lot of work and time to weigh the exact amount of teas then fill them into the bags.
Introducing the automatic tea filler has significantly improved production efficiency and has enhanced our supply capacity.

Prized roasting furnace (roasted twice)

We carefully roast our tea using three different roasting machines, air-heating roaster,far-infrared roaster, and microwave roaster.
Recent unusual weather tend to make teas taste little blander, but the combination of craftsmanship and cutting-edge technology enhances the impact of the aroma and the original taste of tea, making it even more tasty.

TEA BAG filling equipment (TEA BAG factory)

Hotta Katsutaro Shoten Co Ltd., built a new factory in 2024 and installed tea bag filling equipment. It is capable of producing tea bags with or without packaging. This well-equipped our factory enables us to mass produce.

HYGIENE EQUIPMENT

1. Clean Room:

A clean room is set up at the entrance of the factory, where employees change shoes, adhesive rollers are applied, and hands are thoroughly washed.

2. Air shower:

An air shower is also installed at the entrance.
The shower is installed for dustproofing and air lock effect to maintain cleanliness.

3. High-speed sheet shutter:

A high speed sheet shutter has been installed in the raw materials and materials warehouse, the shutter opens and closes quickly to minimize infiltration of air from outside air, and is effective in preventing entry of insects and dust.