Counterfeit matcha a concern for Japanese growers struggling with global demand

ABC NEWS (Australia)

The surge in matcha's popularity has left many producers in Japan struggling to meet demand. Now, some are raising the alarm about fake products entering the market.

Transcript

00:00As matcha madness sweeps the globe, these tourists have come straight to the source.

00:08It's been an explosion. You can't not see matcha anywhere you go.

00:12Although it's just matcha, so it should be just one tea, there is a whole range of flavours that you can choose from.

00:20Matcha is a powder made from finely ground green tea.

00:24It's been part of Japanese culture for over 400 years, now being mixed into drinks and desserts.

00:32And Uji is one of the country's most prestigious tea growing regions.

00:38It's incredibly gratifying to see that Japanese culture is recognised by people around the world.

00:43Matcha's surging popularity has stunned farmers.

00:47Many are now considering pivoting away from traditional green tea to produce more matcha.

00:54It's deeply regrettable that we can't meet the demand.

00:58It takes five years to grow new matcha, making it hard to meet demand.

01:04There's now concern fakes are filling the gaps.

01:08Masatsugu Nonomura handles international sales for a matcha company.

01:13And he's found copycat products from China are on the rise.

01:18This is our genuine matcha, Isuzu. The colour is a very bright green.

01:23On the other hand, this is the counterfeit Isuzu. This one is a slightly dull yellowish green.

01:29If consumers buy something believing it to be Uji matcha and find it not nearly as delicious as expected,

01:35there's a risk they'll simply stop buying it.

01:37And you can see how confusing things become for the customer.

01:41This one says it's from Uji Japan. It's not.

01:45This one has copied the product's name. While this one has copied the entire packaging.

01:53That's fake. That's real.

01:57Japan has lobbied Beijing to block Chinese companies trademarking phrases like Uji Matcha.

02:04It's had some success, but the flow of counterfeits continues.

02:10Given the rising demand overseas for Japanese teas, especially matcha,

02:14people are emerging who produce counterfeit products.

02:18A fight to protect a much-loved product.

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