Representative image GUWAHATI: India’s food safety watchdog has ordered companies to stop calling herbal infusions – from rooibos to flowers – “tea” unless the drink comes solely from the Camellia sinensis tree.FSSAI has directed all businesses to stop branding herbal and plant-based infusions “tea”, warning that such labels mislead consumers and amount to misbranding under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. “It has come to the notice of FSSAI that some food business operators are marketing products that are not obtained from the plant Camellia sinensis under the name ‘Tea,’ such as ‘Rooibos Tea,’ ‘Herbal Tea,’ ‘Flower Tea,’ etc,” the regulator said. Under Food Safety and Standards (Food Product Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011, tea refers exclusively to products made from Camellia sinensis, source of black, green, Kangra and instant teas in solid form. Plant-based or herbal infusions or blends do not qualify to be named tea, either directly or indirectly, the regulator said. Brands selling calming, detoxifying or botanical blends will now have to rebrand. Online platforms face large-scale relisting. “We are very happy with this much-needed clarification from FSSAI,” said Bidyananda Barkakoty, adviser to North Eastern Tea Association. “This definition of tea will remove a lot of ambiguity from consumer’s mind, and will also help remove clutter and confusion,” he said.Barkakoty said even US Food and Drug Administration recognised only tea derived from Camellia sinensis as a “healthy” beverage, not herbal infusions.About the AuthorPrabin KalitaPrabin Kalita is a journalist at The Times of India and is currently the Chief of Bureau (northeast). He has been reporting in mainstream Indian national media since 2001. He has been a field journalist reporting gamut of issues from India’s northeastern region and major developments in neighbouring countries like Myanmar, China, Bhutan and Bangladesh concerning India and northeastern region. He has been covering insurgency—internal and cross-border, politics, natural calamities, environment etc. He is a post-graduate in Geological Sciences from Gauhati University.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosBangladesh Unrest: Another Hindu Man Lynched; Police Claim Extortion Bid‘Hurt Hindu Sentiments’: Bajrang Dal Protests Outside Bareilly Church, Video Viral‘Bit Late but Strong’: Amit Shah Highlights India’s Semiconductor Industry Growth‘One Family Rule’: PM Modi Slams Congress at Prerna Sthal InaugurationBNP Chairman Tarique Rahman Makes Grand Comeback To Bangladesh, Evokes Martin Luther King In SpeechMajor anti-Naxal success: Rs 1.2-crore bounty Maoist Ganesh Uike among four gunned down in Odisha’Every Indian Is Assaulted When…’: Shashi Tharoor Slams Attacks On Christmas Celebrations In IndiaNitin Gadkari Reveals Shocking Experience of Meeting Hamas Leader Before His Assassination in Iran’You’ll Know Me Now’: Gunman’s Chilling Threat Before Killing AMU Teacher Inside Campus In UPWhy Tarique Rahman’s Return To Dhaka After 17 Years Could Reshape Bangladesh Politics After Hasina123PhotostoriesAvoid making these 5 worst sleep mistakesWhat happens when you practice ‘sideways walking’How to take calcium and magnesium supplements for maximum absorption and why taking them together may not be idealExclusive – From facing blame for breaking the team to claiming Shubhangi Atre copied her Angoori; Shilpa Shinde on Bhabhi Ji Ghar Par Hai, comeback, and comparisonsNew parents of 2025: Chris Evans-Alba Baptista to Millie Bobby Brown-Jake BongioviPost-festive detox: Simple ways to detox your body with turmericWhy South India is the ultimate January escape: 10 places to prove it!Year ender 2025: From Akshaye Khanna, Adarsh Gourav to Sanya Malhotra, actors who redefined their craft beyond the blockbustersFrom fitness to confidence: Why kids should be encouraged to pick up sportsYour Soul’s Biggest Fear Based On Your Birth Date123Hot PicksUAE WeatherPAN-Aadhaar linkingKarbi Anglong CurfewGold rate todayIncome Tax RefundPublic Holidays DecemberBank Holidays DecemberTop TrendingTaylor SwiftPaul RuddPatrick MahomesMegan Thee Stallion Net Worth 2025Travis KelceJoel EmbiidSavannah James Net WorthSophie CunninghamDrew McIntyre and Kaitlyn Frohnapfel Net WorthKhamzat Chimaev
GUWAHATI: India’s food safety watchdog has ordered companies to stop calling herbal infusions – from rooibos to flowers – “tea” unless the drink comes solely from the Camellia sinensis tree.FSSAI has directed all businesses to stop branding herbal and plant-based infusions “tea”, warning that such labels mislead consumers and amount to misbranding under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. “It has come to the notice of FSSAI that some food business operators are marketing products that are not obtained from the plant Camellia sinensis under the name ‘Tea,’ such as ‘Rooibos Tea,’ ‘Herbal Tea,’ ‘Flower Tea,’ etc,” the regulator said. Under Food Safety and Standards (Food Product Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011, tea refers exclusively to products made from Camellia sinensis, source of black, green, Kangra and instant teas in solid form.
Plant-based or herbal infusions or blends do not qualify to be named tea, either directly or indirectly, the regulator said. Brands selling calming, detoxifying or botanical blends will now have to rebrand. Online platforms face large-scale relisting. “We are very happy with this much-needed clarification from FSSAI,” said Bidyananda Barkakoty, adviser to North Eastern Tea Association. “This definition of tea will remove a lot of ambiguity from consumer’s mind, and will also help remove clutter and confusion,” he said.Barkakoty said even US Food and Drug Administration recognised only tea derived from Camellia sinensis as a “healthy” beverage, not herbal infusions.
