Tea buyers want adulteration checked

KOCHI: The Tea Buyers��� Association, Cochin, has called for adopting a foolproof mechanism by the manufacturers to ensure that the presence of iron filings in tea do not exceed the limit of 250 ppm prescribed by Bureau of Indian Standards.

The association president MK Ajit said the committee on legislation for plantation sector had last year recommended that similar maximum limit be inserted in the Prevention of Food Adulteration (PFA) rules. Hence suitable modifications should be brought about in PFA in accordance with BIS stipulations, he said.

Detection of iron filings in ten samples taken from domestic market by the state government had led to suspension of tea auctions in Kochi for some days.

The association has requested the Tea Board and the Tea Trade Association of Cochin the need for subjecting the samples of all teas meant for auctions to 100 % analysis as per PFA norms.

The tea buyers as well as major blenders and packeteers like Hindustan Unilever have started refraining from operating on auction teas of gardens with more than the prescribed limit of iron filings, he said.

However, there is no presence of iron filings in the Orthodox tea that is exported mostly.