FSSAI analyzes tea samples to determine safety standards, says executive

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is analyzing tea samples from different parts of the country to determine whether they adhere to safety standards, an official said on Saturday.

The official said FSSAI, a statutory food safety regulatory body, has conducted surveys and collected samples across the country’s tea industry, which are currently being analyzed for the levels of pesticide residues present in them.

“Regarding the tea industry, we have conducted surveys and are currently analyzing the samples that were collected. We will then present our findings to the industry,” FSSAI Chief Executive Officer G Kamala Vardhana Rao said.

Rao said FSSAI will train growers, producers, traders and everyone involved in the supply chain from tea production to sales.

He said FSSAI has also sought the cooperation and support of Tea Board in this endeavour.

Rao, who also met representatives of the Tea Board earlier in the day, said the food safety regulator has increased testing methods at tea auction centres.

The food safety regulator is also increasing its mobile testing labs, he said, which currently number 220.