New Delhi: India’s food safety regulator has tightened the rules on what can be officially called “tea”, making it clear that only products made from the plant Camellia sinensis can use the word on their labels. 

In a directive, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) said that many food business operators are wrongly using the term “tea” for herbal infusions and plant-based drinks that are not made from Camellia sinensis. According to the regulator, this practice is misleading consumers and amounts to misbranding under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

The FSSAI said it found several products in the market being sold as “Rooibos tea”, “herbal tea” and “flower tea”, even though these beverages are not derived from the tea plant.

The authority clarified that such products do not meet the legal definition of tea and therefore cannot be marketed using that name.

As per existing regulations, only infusions made from Camellia sinensis qualify as tea. This includes well-known varieties such as green tea, Kangra tea and instant tea. Any drink made from other plants, herbs or flowers does not fall under this category.

The regulator has warned all food business operators, including manufacturers, packers, marketers, importers, sellers and e-commerce platforms, to stop using the word “tea” directly or indirectly for products that are not derived from Camellia sinensis.

Failure to comply, it said, will be treated as a violation of food safety laws.

FSSAI has also instructed state food safety officials to strictly enforce these rules and ensure that both offline and online sellers follow the correct labelling norms.

"The move is aimed at protecting consumers from confusion and ensuring transparency in how food and beverage products are described and sold," experts said.