Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Dec 28: India’s food safety regulator has tightened labelling norms, clarifying that only beverages made from the plant Camellia sinensis can legally be marketed and sold as “tea”.

In a recent directive, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) said it has observed widespread misuse of the term “tea” by food business operators for herbal infusions and plant-based drinks that do not contain Camellia sinensis. Such practices, the regulator noted, mislead consumers and amount to misbranding under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

The authority pointed out that products labelled as “herbal tea”, “rooibos tea” or “flower tea” are increasingly available in the market, despite not being derived from the tea plant. FSSAI clarified that these beverages do not meet the legal definition of tea and therefore cannot be sold using that name.

Under existing regulations, only infusions prepared from Camellia sinensis qualify as tea. This category includes popular varieties such as green tea, Kangra tea and instant tea. Beverages made from herbs, flowers or other plants fall outside this definition and must be labelled accordingly.

FSSAI has directed all food business operators — including manufacturers, packers, marketers, importers, retailers and e-commerce platforms — to immediately stop using the word “tea”, either directly or indirectly, for products not derived from Camellia sinensis. Non-compliance will be treated as a violation of food safety laws.

State food safety authorities have also been instructed to strictly enforce the directive and ensure that both offline and online sellers adhere to proper labelling standards.

Experts said the move is aimed at preventing consumer confusion and improving transparency in the marketing and sale of food and beverage products.