Financial Times

New standards for tea, coffee and cocoa

The Health Ministry has drafted new standards for tea, coffee, cocoa and their products with the aim of improving the quality of these items and preventing consumers being exploited by unscrupulous producers and vendors.

They are among new standards covering parameters such as moisture content, caffeine, addition of colouring and extraneous matter, fat and sugar, for 20 food items to be introduced by the authorities.

Right now there are no Health Ministry standards for such food products.

Government officials said the new standards would help bring Sri Lanka's food regulations in line with those of more developed countries and ensure greater protection for consumers.

"Most countries have standards for food products to determine whether or not they are genuine or adulterated or substandard products," said T. Kandasamy, a member of the Health Ministry's food advisory committee, which drafted the new rules.

"We have drafted parameters for many products, such as cereals, vegetables and spices, to measure their quality," said Kandasamy. "They will act as a guide for producers to help them prepare their products."

The standards will specify limits for such characteristics as moisture content and additives.

The new standards will be particularly useful in fighting the growing racket in the sale of unauthorized and substandard teas which could tarnish the image of Ceylon tea.

Kandasamy said that refuse from tea boutiques is dried and sold to unscrupulous tea packers who mix it with good tea and sell it.

Such teas are difficult to detect on appearance alone but would be revealed as substandard under proper analysis. Niraj de Mel, CEO, of the Tea Association of Sri Lanka, the apex industry body, said he welcomed new standards that would improve the quality of tea products.

"Excellent. I fully endorse and support the Health Ministry in its efforts to improve food product standards."

The health ministry should give ample notice to producers on the estates and particularly private factory owners, so that everyone is aware of the new standards and have time to upgrade their production processes in order to comply with the new rules.

"If we don't look sharp and take our tea factories to a higher level we will have a huge cost to pay," de Mel said. This was because of increasingly stringent food standards in Western markets where tea is considered a food product.
Kandasamy said that consumers who suspect what they are buying is not genuine tea could complain to the local authority such as the municipality or urban council and have samples of the product sent for analysis. The ministry has received several complaints about the sale of sub-standard teas but not many concerning cocoa and coffee products. Tea exporters have to conform to ISO or Sri Lanka Standards Institution rules and get samples of their shipments analysed and certified by the Government Analyst's department to ensure their suitability prior to shipment. In the case of domestic sales, producers are not compelled to get a certificate.

The new standards would also act as a deterrent against producers adding colour to food products, a practice widely prevalent in India.

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