Tea Board Asks Packeters, Blenders To Stop Adding Colours

Coonoor: Tea Board has urged the tea packeters and blenders to stop adding colours to tea as it is not allowed under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act (PFA). While the PFA permits 24 natural flavours like cardamom, ginger, tulsi and mint to be mixed with tea, it does not allow any colours although permitted to be added for other food items including sweets, ice cream, jelly, jam and flavoured milk. The colours decrease the consumption of pure tea. So, it has asked the traders to withdraw such teas from the market. Only sub-standard teas are used for colouring and so, if the practice ends, the market would be rid of such teas.