Be it your early morning brew or your midday fix, tea is
that one pick me up that most beverage aficionados in the country look for.
However, a recent Greenpeace report alleged that tea sold by some of the
premier brands in India contains chemicals that are deemed moderately and
highly hazardous by the World Health Organisation (WHO). These include
Hindustan Unilever Limited, Tata Global Beverages Limited, Wagh Bakri Tea,
Goodricke Tea, Twinings, Golden Tips, Kho-Cha and Girnar.
Goa based Tea Sommelier Snigdha Manchanda opines, “There are
many tea estates in India that may not be certified to be an organic plantation
but they do follow good practices. If the tea produced in India was fuelled by
pesticides, India wouldn’t be one of the leading producers and exporters of tea
in the world. I wholly support the Tea Board of India. There may be a change in
the aroma or the taste of the tea if there is a presence of pesticides. If the
quantity is miniscule, then it will not be noticeable, but if the quantity is large,
then the tea will taste bitter and could have ill effects on the body.”
Incensed by the report, the Tea Board of India released a
statement asserting that all tested samples are in compliance with laws of the
country, designed to protect consumers.
