FSSAI clarifies only Camellia sinensis products can be called tea

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) issued a clarification on Wednesday stating that a beverage can be labelled as “tea” only if it is derived from the plant Camellia sinensis.

The clarification seeks to address growing confusion in the market caused by the widespread use of the term “tea” for herbal and plant-based infusions that do not originate from the traditional tea plant.

Tea, in its conventional sense, has long been produced from the leaves of Camellia sinensis, cultivated across large and small plantations throughout India.

The processing typically involves plucking two tender leaves and an unopened bud from the plant, a practice followed for generations by plantation workers.

These leaves are then dried, granulated, or otherwise processed to produce the various forms of tea consumed across the country. According to the FSSAI, this botanical origin is central to what legally qualifies as tea.

In its clarification, the regulator emphasized that using the word “tea,” either directly or indirectly, for beverages or infusions derived from other plants is misleading. Such usage, it said, amounts to misbranding under the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, along with the rules and regulations framed under it.

The authority underlined that herbal infusions or



blends made from flowers, roots, seeds, or leaves of plants other than Camellia sinensis do not meet the statutory definition of tea.

The FSSAI further explained that products not derived from Camellia sinensis may still be legally sold, but they must be classified appropriately. Depending on their ingredients, these items could fall under the category of proprietary foods or under the Food Safety and Standards (Approval for Non-Specified Food and Food Ingredients) Regulations, 2017.

However, they cannot be marketed or labelled as tea.

FOCUS ON COMPLIANCE

To ensure compliance, the regulator directed all food business operators, including manufacturers, packers, marketers, importers, sellers, and e-commerce platforms, to strictly adhere to the regulations.

They have been instructed to refrain from using the term “tea” for any product that does not originate from Camellia sinensis.

The FSSAI also called upon Commissioners of Food Safety in all States and Union Territories, as well as its Regional Directors, to enforce the clarification rigorously. Authorities have been asked to monitor compliance and take necessary action against food business operators found violating the defined standards.

The move is aimed at improving transparency for consumers and maintaining consistency in food labelling across the country.