Responsibility
What we are responsible for, and what we do not claim
Four practices define how this programme is run: residue testing specified against the destination, origin disclosure, traceability to county (and to certified production units for verified organic programmes), and the production party named in the quotation. Which of them apply to a given shipment, and the evidence issued for each, is written into the contract for that shipment rather than assumed from this page. Two things are not claimed until they are true: certifications not yet held, and carbon figures not yet measured. A responsibility page that reads like a brochure is worth less than a certificate of analysis.
Food safety
How is food safety evidenced?
Food safety is evidenced by a residue report against the destination's maximum residue limits — ONSSA for Morocco, TR CU 021/2011 for the EAEU, EU and Japanese lists — issued by an accredited laboratory where testing is included in the quotation. Where a certificate of analysis is issued, it states moisture, ash and broken content. Which documents are issued, by which laboratory and at what point relative to loading, is written into the contract.
What does origin disclosure commit us to?
Origin disclosure means naming the county for Fujian teas and saying plainly that gunpowder and Chunmee are Zhejiang and Anhui teas refined to the written contract specification. Origin substitution is the most common misrepresentation in this trade; disclosure removes the one claim a buyer cannot check from abroad.
How far back can a lot be traced?
Origin lots are traced to county. For verified organic quotations, the certified production units and shipment documents are named in the quotation. For sourced grades, the contract names the buying region and the refining batch. Where repeat-lot matching is contracted, the approved sample is sealed and retained so later lots can be cupped against that reference.
What is not claimed?
ODM Tea does not claim certifications it does not hold, carbon figures it has not measured or social audits it has not completed. Each will appear here with its issuing body, scope and date when it exists. Until then the honest statement is the absence.
Frequently asked
Does ODM Tea hold sustainability certifications?
Certifications are listed on this site only once held, with the issuing body and scope. None is claimed here that is not held, and a grower's or mill's certificate is never presented as ours.
How is food safety handled?
Testing scope, laboratory, timing and acceptance are written into the contract when testing is included in the quotation. Where a certificate of analysis is issued, it states moisture, ash and broken content.
Can a lot be traced to its origin?
Origin lots are named by county on the contract. For verified organic quotations, the certified production units and shipment documents are named in the quotation. For sourced gunpowder and Chunmee, the contract names the buying region and the refining batch.
How can you check whether a tea brand is ethically sourced?
Look for evidence you can check: a published list of supplying estates or factories, certification that covers the specific product rather than the company in general — Rainforest Alliance or Fairtrade, for example — independent audit reports, and a way for workers to raise grievances. A logo shows that a scheme was involved; the certificate's scope shows what it covers.
Are big tea brands such as Lipton or Twinings ethically sourced?
This site does not audit other brands. Both brand owners publish sourcing and human-rights statements; check the current statement, the certification printed on the specific product and independent reporting, such as the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, rather than relying on a general claim in either direction.
Last updated: 26 September 2026
Next step
Ask for the documents, not the page.
Ask for the certificate of analysis and residue report written into your contract, and the laboratory that will issue them.