Organic Culinary Matcha

{
  "products_tested": "Jade Leaf Matcha Green Tea Powder was tested in BOTH culinary and ceremonial grade versions",
  "EGC_epigallocatechin_mg_per_g_tea_culinary": "38.04 +/- 1.97",
  "ORAC_antioxidant_capacity": "Jade Leaf ceremonial matcha had the LOWEST ORAC antioxidant capacity of all 15 products tested (range across all products was 201.2 to 281.8 TEAC mmol/100g)",
  "note": "Full per-brand table (Table 2) contains additional catechin values (EGCG, E-CG, epicatechin) for Jade Leaf that were not individually quoted in the extracted text beyond EGC; only figures explicitly captured from the source are included here to avoid fabrication."
}

{
  "product_listed_on_free_page": "Jade Leaf Organic Ceremonial Matcha - Teahouse Edition",
  "status": "Confirmed included in ConsumerLab's 2024-2025 Green Tea Review product comparison list (visible for free); specific numeric lead/cadmium/arsenic/EGCG results for this product are paywalled and were not accessed"
}

{
  "date_published": "2025-01-05",
  "product": "Jade Leaf Organic Ceremonial Matcha (Barista Edition)",
  "tester": "Independent, community-funded third-party laboratory testing coordinated by Lead Safe Mama, LLC (Tamara Rubin)",
  "contaminants_flagged": [
    "Lead",
    "Cadmium",
    "Mercury",
    "Arsenic"
  ],
  "specific_ppb_levels": "Not extractable from article text (levels shown only in an embedded lab-report image, not machine-readable); article states product tested positive for all four heavy metals",
  "benchmark_used": "2021 Baby Food Safety Act \"Action Levels\" (commonly cited by this tester as 5 ppb lead/cadmium, 2 ppb mercury, 10 ppb arsenic per a related chart)",
  "regulatory_status": "This is independent/private lab testing and consumer advocacy reporting, NOT an FDA, USDA, or state regulatory recall, notice, or enforcement action. No official recall or Prop 65 notice tied to this specific test was found.",
  "publisher_note": "Lead Safe Mama states its testing work has contributed to six product recalls (FDA and CPSC) since July 2022 generally, but none is specifically attributed to this Jade Leaf matcha test in the article.",
  "related_context": "This product also appears in a broader 2024-2026 Lead Safe Mama comparison chart of matcha brands (see companion entry), which states the tester has 'not yet found a safer choice' among tested matcha products."
}

{
  "lead_ppb": null,
  "cadmium_ppb": null,
  "mercury_ppb": null,
  "arsenic_ppb": null,
  "safety_threshold": {
    "lead_ppb": 5,
    "cadmium_ppb": 5,
    "mercury_ppb": 2,
    "arsenic_ppb": 10
  },
  "verdict": "Tested positive for all four toxicants: Lead, Cadmium, Mercury, and Arsenic. Tamara Rubin reiterates her long-standing advice to avoid anything with 'Matcha' in the name and recommends consulting a doctor about heavy-metals testing for regular consumers. Exact ppb figures are shown only in an embedded lab-report chart image (and a separate scanned lab-report PDF image), not extractable as text, so specific numeric values could not be confirmed.",
  "product_tested": "Jade Leaf Organic Ceremonial Matcha, Barista Edition"
}

{
  "ranking_or_verdict": "7th Place (Ceremonial, 8 tested), 21.25/25 - not repurchased due to texture issues",
  "notes": "Product: Jade Leaf Ceremonial Grade Matcha. Aroma: 'More true to a classic green tea' without excessive sweetness. Flavor: 'Quite zesty on the front end'."
}

{
  "ranking_or_verdict": "5th Place (Culinary, 8 tested), 17/25 - not repurchased, overpowering taste profile",
  "notes": "Product: Jade Leaf Culinary Grade Matcha. Color: 'Slightly muted lime green with brownish undertones'. Aroma: 'Noticeably bitter and sharp'. Flavor: 'Tastes reminiscent of wasabi'."
}

{
  "rating": "2.5/5",
  "review_summary": "Dull, muted green color, extremely bitter taste, chalky texture alone, smells of stale hay or canned green beans. Becomes more palatable mixed into lattes with milk/sweetener. Reviewer notes quality has improved vs previous batches but best suited for sweetened lattes/smoothies/baking, not unsweetened sipping.",
  "grade_stated": "Culinary",
  "price_per_oz_stated": "$10.00 (origin: Uji, Japan)"
}

{
  "rating_or_verdict": "Best Less Expensive Drinks — from $21, ceremonial grade",
  "notes": "Recommended by Asia Lui Chapa (author of The Home Café); 'sweet, balanced' with vegetal quality, versatile across preparations. Article notes it costs a few dollars more per package than Blue Willow but is priced roughly 18 cents/gram less."
}

{
  "rating_or_verdict": "Best Overall — 3.5/5 rating",
  "notes": "$0.50 per serving; dissolved well but testers noted a 'chalky flavor'; no scoop included."
}

{
  "rating_or_verdict": "Tested, did not make top list",
  "notes": "Listed among tested products that did not rank in the article's top picks."
}

{
  "rating_or_verdict": "Best Budget",
  "notes": "30g tin, ~$0.80/gram; 'strong notes of green apple peels and watercress that would work well in smoothies'."
}

{
  "rating_or_verdict": "Tested, excluded from top picks",
  "notes": "Bold intensity, excels in sweetened beverages, but intense bitterness made it too strong for plain water preparation."
}

{
  "tier": "Tier 5 - Don't Recommend (worst tier)",
  "price_noted": "$9.95",
  "notes": "Cheapest brand tested, but ranked in the bottom tier."
}