ITA urges growers to make tea a safer drink

Tea industry should adopt the safety standards applicable to beverage industry, in order to increase global market share.

Addressing a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) workshop, C K Dhanuka, chairman of Indian Tea Association (ITA), said, "Safety standards of certain beverages and confectionaries were the subject of a nationwide debate. A proper response in the wake of such controversies is only possible where a well-documented food system is in place."

HACCP envisages identification of the physical, chemical and biological hazards that are likely to impact on safety of food items from the process of production to delivery of final product.

Dhanuka pointed out, there was a need to study the existing systems, identify the gaps and suggest measures or control points which were practically implementable in the present conditions, to ensure that Indian tea continued to conform to international standards of consumer safety.

R S Shukla, deputy chairman Tea Board of India said that managers in the tea estates should work in tandem with the scientists to imbibe HACCP.

Apart from assuring high quality and global standards, HACCP would also hep reduce cost. Sanjay Budhia, chairman Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) eastern region said, this would make the product more competitive in the inertantional market.

In a bid to spread awareness for implementing HACCP, CII in partnership with Tea Board, ITA and Darjeeling Planters' Association (DPA) would organise six workshops.

Budhia said, tea garden employees comprising senior managers, executives and core personnel would be sensitised on this topic in Diburgarh, Jorhat, Tejpur, Dooars and Darjeeling.