India’s food safety regulator has tightened norms on the use of the term “tea”, clarifying that only products made from the plant Camellia sinensis can be labelled as tea.
In a directive, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) said several food business operators are misusing the term “tea” for herbal infusions and plant-based beverages that are not derived from Camellia sinensis. The regulator said this practice is misleading consumers and amounts to misbranding under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
The FSSAI noted that products such as “Rooibos tea”, “herbal tea” and “flower tea” are being sold in the market despite not being made from the tea plant.
It clarified that such products do not meet the legal definition of tea and therefore cannot be marketed using the term.
As per existing regulations, only infusions prepared from Camellia sinensis qualify as tea. These include varieties such as green tea, Kangra tea and instant tea. Beverages made from other plants, herbs or flowers do not fall under this category.
The regulator has directed all food business operators — including manufacturers, packers, marketers, importers, sellers and e-commerce platforms — to discontinue the use of the word “tea”, directly or indirectly, for products not derived from Camellia sinensis.
Non-compliance, it warned, will be treated as a violation of food safety laws.
The FSSAI has also instructed state food safety authorities to strictly enforce the directive and ensure that correct labelling norms are followed across offline and online platforms.
The move, experts said, is aimed at preventing consumer confusion and ensuring transparency in food and beverage labelling.
–IANS
