No tea trade without conforming to FSSAI parameters: Tea Board

Kolkata, Nov 29 (IANS) In a bid to ensure quality and protect the image of India tea globally, the Tea Board of India Thursday said no tea can be exported from or imported into the country from February if it does not conform to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India’s (FSSAI) parameters.

“Effective Feb 1, 2013, no teas can either be exported from or imported into India, without conforming to FSSAI parameters and teas would be subjected to random testing,” a Tea Board of India release said here.

FSSAI was established under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 as a statutory body for laying down science-based standards for articles of food and regulating manufacturing, processing, distribution, sale and import of food so as to ensure safe and wholesome food for human consumption.

Against the backdrop of various quality issues that have cropped up in recent years, the tea board has already taken firm steps to protect and enhance the image of Indian tea globally and to ensure that only tea worthy of the tagline ‘Indian tea’ is exported.

The board has recently established Tea Councils for both north and south India to put in place an online mandatory mechanism to track all exports and imports of tea and ensure that quality norms are enforced.

IANS 2012-11-29 22:34:08