Korean Beverage Startup Develops RTD Matcha Latte with Japanese OEM

"MaCha Lab," a beverage startup founded in Seoul in 2023, identified Korea's booming café culture and premium matcha trend and planned to develop an RTD (Ready to Drink) matcha latte for convenience stores and café chains.

While Korean beverage OEM manufacturers were available, the team determined that authentic Japanese Uji matcha flavor could only be achieved through end-to-end production in Japan. They decided to leverage the "Made in Japan" brand appeal to differentiate in Korea's premium RTD market.

Through OEM JAPAN, they consulted with 4 beverage OEM manufacturers. Selection criteria included:

• Small-lot PET bottle and can filling capability (from 5,000 bottles)
• Established Uji matcha sourcing routes with rigorous quality control
• Ability to prepare documentation for Korean MFDS (Ministry of Food and Drug Safety) import requirements
• Korean or English communication capability

Manufacturer D in Kyoto Prefecture was selected. Located near the Uji tea-producing region, Manufacturer D had direct sourcing relationships with local tea farmers for first-harvest leaves. With extensive export experience to Korea and Taiwan, their PET bottle filling line had an annual capacity of 10 million bottles.

MaCha Lab aimed for a café-quality latte with the perfect balance of matcha bitterness and sweetness. Korean consumers tend to prefer sweeter beverages, and the recipe needed to account for this preference.

Phase	Duration	Details
Recipe Design	1 month	Matcha grade selection, dairy ingredient comparison
Prototype 1-3	2 months	Matcha concentration and sweetness adjustment, sedimentation prevention testing
Shelf-life Testing	1.5 months	Accelerated aging tests, color stability testing
Packaging Design	1.5 months	Korean-language label design, nutritional analysis
Full Production	1 month	5,000-bottle filling, inspection, and shipping

The most technically challenging aspect was preventing matcha sedimentation. Manufacturer D's technical team employed proprietary micro-particle dispersion technology to ensure uniform matcha distribution even at room temperature. After 3 prototyping rounds, the final recipe maintained the vivid green color and rich flavor of authentic matcha.

The first lot was 5,000 bottles (280ml PET). UHT sterilization (ultra-high temperature processing) ensured a 9-month shelf life at room temperature.

Export support highlights:

• Import notification documents (ingredient specifications, manufacturing process diagrams) prepared for Korean MFDS
• Korean-language nutritional and ingredient labeling designed with Manufacturer D's support
• CIF export arrangements to Busan port
• Per-lot microbiological and pesticide residue testing conducted

Drawing on their previous Korean export experience, Manufacturer D was well-versed in common MFDS review issues, completing the initial import clearance without any document deficiencies.

Launched as "MaCha Lab Uji Matcha Latte," the product rolled out through Seoul convenience store chains and online retailers. Within 2 months of launch, monthly sales reached 30,000 bottles, establishing a strong presence in Korea's premium RTD market.

Key success factors:

• "Made in Japan" brand power with 100% Uji matcha
• Sweetness and richness tailored to Korean consumer preferences
• Japanese manufacturing technology achieving a premium, sediment-free RTD matcha

MaCha Lab has ordered a second lot of 20,000 bottles. Seasonal limited flavors (hojicha latte, sakura matcha latte) are in development, and distribution expansion to Busan and Daegu is planned. The key takeaway was that partnering with a Japanese OEM manufacturer established a credible "authentic Japanese quality" positioning in the Korean market.