Not every batch. Some of the rarer quality ones can be 2~3 kg a year, some 15~20. Cost-wise this is prohibitive. However, these are always from producers who make larger, easier priced batches, such as the April Mist green tea you buy. I have put the products of all those that I buy from through EU MRL tests in certified labs in France and whoever fails once is never bought from again. The EU standards for tea is the strictest in the world.
FYI, MRL stands for Maximum Residual Levels, referring to the content of chemicals that the EU targets as harmful. For tea, there are around 280 that the lab is required to test against. It’s almost identical to their requirements for fruit and vegetable. In another word, EATING my tealeaves is as safe as eating a salad in Europe; maybe better considering the hygiene of some of the kitchens there. Don’t eat pu’er leaves though; very nasty when eaten 😉
