What standards does CatSpring Yaupon follow — and why should it matter to you?
If you’re taking the time to brew a warm cup of yaupon tea, it’s probably because you care — about what you’re putting into your body, where it comes from, and how it’s made.
We care too. And that’s why we’ve built our entire process around a simple promise: clean, honest tea from native Texas yaupon holly, grown with integrity and intention.
It’s not enough for us to say it’s natural or sustainable. We prove it — through nationally recognized certifications and extensive third-party testing. Because we want you to trust every sip.
Our Core Certifications: Not Just Labels
We’re proud to hold some of the highest certifications in agriculture and food safety. These aren’t vanity stamps — they’re rigorous standards that keep our tea pure, ethical, and clean.
Our yaupon is:
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CCOF Organic Certified: No synthetic fertilizers or pesticides. Just native yaupon holly grown as it’s always been.
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Regenerative Organic Certified® (ROC): We don’t just sustain the soil; we help restore it. ROC ensures that we support biodiversity, treat workers fairly, and prioritize long-term health of the land.
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Whole Kosher Certified: Our processing methods meet strict kosher guidelines, supporting our commitment to purity and transparency.
What We Test — And Why We Test It
In summary, our certifications reflect more than compliance. They reflect care for the earth, for the plant, and for you. Standards also mean safety. That’s why every batch of our yaupon holly leaves is tested under the guidelines set by the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA).
We screen for:
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Heavy metals like lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury
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Pesticide residues including organochlorine, organophosphate, and pyrethroid compounds (even though we don’t use them, we test to show transperancy)
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Microbial contaminants including E. coli, Salmonella, coliforms, yeast/mold, and total plate count
These aren’t nice-to-haves — they’re essentials. Especially when you’re offering a product that’s meant to be sipped, savored, and trusted.
You deserve to know exactly what’s in your cup. And more importantly, what’s not.
Grown with Sunshine and Rainwater — Literally
You’ll often hear us say our yaupon is grown with just sunshine and rainwater. And while it may sound poetic, it’s also the truth.
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We don’t irrigate.
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We don’t apply chemical sprays.
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We let the native yaupon holly shrub thrive the way it always has — rooted in Texas soil, guided by nature’s rhythms.
This hands-off, regenerative approach does more than produce a clean leaf. It supports local ecosystems, strengthens the land, and creates a naturally resilient tea — full of life, not chemicals.
In short: we don’t force our tea to grow. We invite it.
Why This Matters for You
Whether you’re sipping yaupon for its smooth caffeine, its deep cultural roots, or simply as a new ritual in your day, you should feel confident in its quality.
By holding ourselves to these standards, we’re offering you more than tea:
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A true organic drink, rooted in history and transparency
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A taste of Texas native tea, wild-harvested and regeneratively grown
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A product that’s been tested, certified, and never compromised
In summary: we do the hard work behind the scenes so that your experience is simple — just you, your cup, and a tea you can trust.
Why Our Standards Matter in a Global Industry
As we built CatSpring Yaupon, we couldn’t ignore the deeper issues facing the global tea industry — from environmental degradation to labor exploitation. Many large-scale tea operations still rely on outdated, extractive systems that impact both people and planet. Among the most pressing concerns:
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Environmental impact: Heavy pesticide use, monoculture farming, and deforestation strain ecosystems and deplete biodiversity.
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Labor and human rights violations: In some regions, tea is still produced under unsafe working conditions with little to no labor protections.
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Health risks: Imported teas may carry contaminants, including pesticide residues and heavy metals, due to lax or inconsistent testing standards.
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Climate vulnerability: Conventional tea crops are increasingly unstable in the face of drought, rising temperatures, and shifting weather patterns.
In contrast, yaupon thrives naturally in our region, requiring no irrigation or synthetic inputs. Our regenerative methods not only protect the land, but also:
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Support local economies and dignified work
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Ensure clean, tested leaves with every batch
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Offer a climate-resilient alternative to imported tea crops
It’s a different way of doing tea — one rooted in native wisdom, clean practices, and long-term thinking. And it’s one we believe deeply in.
In Summary — Standards You Can Taste
Our standards aren’t just something we write on packaging. They’re embedded in every part of what we do — from the field to your teacup.
We choose this path not because it’s easy, but because it’s right. Because yaupon deserves it. And so do you.
