Guwahati: The Northeastern Tea Association (NETA) has asked for the Union Commerce and Industry Ministry’s help in combating the threat of coloured tea, which is gradually making its way into all of the country’s tea-producing regions.
According to reports, adding artificial colour to tea is against the law, and the practice amounts to tea adulteration, posing a major health risk to consumers and ruining the tea industry’s reputation.
Coloured tea is already a menace in India and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) need to take strict action against the unscrupulous people engaged in the business of adulterated tea, reports claimed.
Despite this Tea Board has also been warning against adulteration of tea through artificial colouring, terming the practice as a matter of serious concern.
It may be mentioned that the NETA proposed that the Centre will also provide appropriate funds for the development of a hand-held gadget that can identify pesticides and toxins in green tea leaves in real-time, a threat to the industry.