As the sole tea organisation from India that has entered into a collaboration with a Japanese company, A Tosh has embraced the Japanese standards of hygiene and food safety at its facility. Being a tea supplier to Japan where hygiene matters above all, A Tosh has the scope to learn, benefit and further improve the existing standards of hygiene at the facility, to remain the ideal choice for private label tea.

Private Label Tea
Being in the tea business, there are many private label tea partners, from India and abroad, willing to join in for the services but their foremost concern focuses on quality and hygiene practices followed at A Tosh facility. The credentials from various organisations and the joint venture with a Japanese partner amply prove the point that the Japanese entities would do business only when they are fully satisfied with a company and its hygiene policy. A Tosh has therefore aggressively pursued excellence in hygiene standards to showcase its unwavering commitment and generate greater trust among its customers who find A Tosh as a reliable player who can be entrusted with the supply of private label tea bags.

Hygiene Practices
People in Japan adhere to strict personal hygiene and cleanliness habits. Being identified as one of the cleanest countries around the world, people have high awareness about hygiene matters and practice good habits. They prefer using anti-bacterial or bacteria removal products for sanitization purposes. The staff at A Tosh facility is encouraged to inculcate hygiene and cleanliness practices to prevent the spread of disease and infections, to ensure the private label tea bags and other consumable products meet excellent hygiene standards.

Other than having a proper infrastructure dedicated to the maintenance of hygiene, procedures, and training programs have been introduced to ensure good hygiene is maintained continuously. Every entrance to the facility has an attached hygiene station. The entrance to the Tea Bag Plant has been thoughtfully designed, aligned to the most stringent Japanese standards. As a result, private label tea bags carry the best standards found anywhere in the world.

Clean Surroundings
The practice of Uchimizu refers to the sprinkling of water in the streets and gardens. While it does not directly contribute to public health, it keeps dust settled and the sprinkled area stays cool. At A Tosh facility, the Japanese counterparts inspire to maintain cleanliness not only inside the facility but also in the surrounding areas. Any private label tea brand would appreciate these measures adopted to upgrade hygiene and cleanliness norms.

Mandatory Masks
Before the pandemic spread, Japan followed the culture of wearing masks to ensure good health by preventing the spread of germs and sickness in public places. Surgical masks are a good defence against dust and pollen particles that lead to asthma attacks. The personal protective equipment (PPE) such as hair cap, face mask, and gloves as well as workwear is available at the A Tosh facility. Each worker uses a ‘lint roller’ to remove loose hair, threads, dust, lint, etc., that may be present on the workwear, before proceeding to the handwash station. Before proceeding to the handwash station, the workers change into work footwear. Mirrors are installed for self-checks, to ensure proper cleaning as well as the use of proper workwear. Private label tea bags remain hygienically safe when workers pack them in boxes.

The Art of Decluttering
Seeking inspiration from the Japanese practice of decluttering, At A Tosh facility, employees also maintain clutter-free surroundings. If items remain scattered due to lack of storage space, it reflects poorly on organizational skills. Keeping things well-arranged and in proper order helps save time in accessing the needful stuff. A quick disposal policy is followed as the excess or non-essential items are removed from inside the facility at regular intervals to avoid accumulation problems that slow down efficient work processes and daily operations.

Cleanliness in Daily life and Workplace
Japanese people make a clear distinction between ‘the indoor’ and ‘the outdoor’. Anything brought in from the outside is considered ‘unclean’. There is an entrance area where one takes off the shoes and changes into indoor slippers. Something similar is followed at the A Tosh facility where separate footwear for the restroom facilities is available. The Semi-Hygiene Area includes separate changerooms and personal locker areas for men and women. The workers are supposed to change from their footwear into semi-hygiene area footwear immediately upon passing through the entrance.

Japan follows a standard of cleanliness and organization based on 5 S: seiri (sorting), seiton (organizing), seiso (cleaning), seiketsu (sanitizing), shitsuke (sustaining). A Tosh facility follows these steps as it helps not only with waste reduction but also leads to a tidy workspace that is beneficial to increasing focus and productivity. As a private label tea, it is impressionable to note these advanced measures being followed with integrity.

Ensuring cleanliness and hygiene inside A Tosh facility is a core concern as the safety of private label tea and private label tea bags matters for reputation. While the techniques and methods can be different from one country to another, the vision to have a clean and hygienic environment remains the same. Like in Japan, A Tosh facility puts in every possible effort to ensure the re-evaluation of healthy practices is the norm after the pandemic outbreak. A Tosh incorporates newer measures at par and dynamically implements them to upgrade the existing parameters of hygiene and safety.