The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued a clarification to address misleading labeling practices by certain food business operators (FBOs) marketing products under the name ‘tea’ that are not derived from the plant Camellia sinensis.
According to FSSAI, only beverages prepared from Camellia sinensis—including varieties such as Kangra Tea, Green Tea, and Instant Tea—qualify to be labeled as ‘tea’ under the Food Safety and Standards (Food Product Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011.
The authority has observed that some manufacturers have been marketing products such as ‘Rooibos Tea,’ ‘Herbal Tea,’ and ‘Flower Tea,’ which are plant-based or herbal infusions not obtained from Camellia sinensis. FSSAI clarified that such labeling is misleading and constitutes misbranding under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
The FSSAI cited Regulation 5(1) of the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020, which mandates that the true nature of the food must be clearly indicated on the front of the packaging. Hence, products not derived from Camellia sinensis must not be marketed as ‘tea,’ it said.
Instead, these products may be classified as proprietary foods or may fall under the scope of the Food Safety and Standards (Approval for Non-Specified Food and Food Ingredients) Regulations, 2017, depending on their composition.
All FBOs, including those operating through eCommerce platforms, have been directed to ensure compliance and refrain from using the term ‘tea’ for products that do not originate from Camellia sinensis. State and union territory commissioners of food safety have been instructed to monitor adherence to these regulations and take necessary action in cases of non-compliance.
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Naresh Khanna – 10 February 2025
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