The Tea Board of India has advised all registered buyers under the Tea Marketing Control Order (TMCO), 2003, to comply with the disclosure norms as set by the apex food regulator, FSSAI. The order particularly deals with selling imported tea in India.
The notification was issued after the Board intercepted from its records that, out of the 60.35 million kilogram of tea imported in the last three years, only 23.43 million kilogram has been re-exported, while the remaining 36.92 million kilogram has been sold in India.
As per sub-para (iii) of Paragraph 6 of the FSS (Packaging & Labelling) Regulations, 2011, where an article of food is imported into India, the food package bore on the label the originating country from where the food article was imported, the name and complete address of the importer and the premises of packing or bottling in India.
Since it has come to notice of the Board that tea imported into India is sold without complying FSS (Packaging & Labelling) Regulations, 2011, all such buyers who have been registered under Paragraph 4 of the Tea (Marketing) Control Order, 2003, are hereby directed to forthwith comply Paragraph 6 of the Food Safety Standard (Packaging & Labelling) Regulations, 2011, while selling imported tea in India failing which appropriate action would be taken as per the provisions of the TMCO.
The Tea Board is said to have received reports on tea imported from certain countries including Nepal flouting labelling norms prescribed by the FSSAI.