FSSAI Redefines Tea Labelling Norms for Indian Market
The food regulator of India has given a strict clarification over beverage labelling by stating that no herbal infusion can be called tea unless it is brewed out of the plant Camellia sinensis. Manufacturers, sellers and online platforms have been advised by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to abandon the use of the term tea to refer to herbal, floral or plant-based infusions which are not made of actual tea leaves. The relocation is geared towards the removal of deceptive labels and the provision of understanding to the consumers on what they are buying, a move that has drawn attention as part of Latest News in India. This definition creates consistency in food labeling and enhances the level of transparency in the fast developing beverage sector in India.
What the FSSAI Clarification Means
The regulator says that there is a botanical and regulatory meaning to the word tea. Tea is only beverages that have been made out of the leaves, buds, or tender stems of Camellia sinensis plant. These come in the familiar types of black tea, green tea, white tea and local teas. Even under the tea definition by FSSAI, products prepared using herbs, flowers, roots, seeds, or spices do not qualify to this definition, even though they are prepared as tea and consumed as such.
Why Herbal Infusions Cannot Be Labelled as Tea
Consumer protection is the main reason to give the directive. Referring to herbal brew as tea gives it a misconception and might create the perception of potential benefits or properties that are affiliated with conventional tea. The FSSAI herbal infusion rule makes it understandable that such naming would constitute misbranding as per the laws of food safety. Such products as chamomile, hibiscus, lemongrass or tulsi drinks should now be marked not tea but herbal infusion or their proper equivalent.
Impact on Brands, Sellers, and E-commerce Platforms
The food business operators will be forced to change packaging, product description, advertisement, and online listing to adhere to the elucidation that no herbal infusion can be called tea. It applies to both big brand beverages and small wellness businesses and online merchants who have historically promoted herbal mixtures in equilibrium of herbal tea. Failure to comply would open the company to regulatory inspection, fines or recalling products and thus it is important to relabel them on time.
What This Means for Consumers
To the consumers, the clarification enhances transparency and informed decision. Although herbal infusions can still be tasting or wellness-related, they are not resembling actual tea. Proper labeling gives buyers the idea of what they are actually taking and eliminates guesses associated with the caffeine content of tea, antioxidants, or the traditional properties. The rule promotes sincerity in marketing but does not limit the sale of herbal drinks.
Conclusion
The explanatory letter of the FSSAI puts it clear and straight that no herbal infusion can be called tea unless it has its origin in the Camellia sinensis plant. The regulator expects the misleading claims to be reduced through enforcing correct labelling, consumer protection, and standardisation of the labelling of beverages in the Indian food industry.
