Tea Quality Concerns Raised by Indian Planters

Kolkata, Feb 26 (PTI) Indian Tea Association (ITA), the apex body of planters, on Monday voiced concern over allegations of consumer packs containing "non-compliant" tea.

In a statement, ITA said all tea estates in the country are registered with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to comply with the prevalent quality standards.

The protocol allows for testing of 33 chemicals for tea, the platers' body said, adding that it is done regularly by both producers and buyers.

These protocols not only include FSSAI-prescribed plant protection formulations but also cover testing of banned chemicals, it said.

The tea industry is also subject to social audit by the certification agencies to ensure compliance with social, environmental and ethical standards, the association said.

"These are well documented, and a transparent system is in place to check tea being produced by the estates. ITA supports comprehensive testing to check quality compliance of tea", it said.

However, the planters' body said that there is a need to create further testing infrastructure, including that of green leaf.

"This has been flagged by the association with the appropriate authorities," it said.

All the stakeholders in the value chain, such as producers, buyers and packeteers, are responsible and law-abiding entities providing the consumer with a safe and sustainable cup of tea, the ITA added.