Assam growers accused of violating food safety norms
Buyers of Assam black tea have expressed concerns over food safety following reports that tea shipments were found to contain excessive levels of certain chemicals. Teas originating from India's Assam region recently tested positive for nicotine and heavy metals like arsenic. This echoes reports that some growers may not follow the norms of usage of pesticides, iron filling, artificial coloring of tea and packaging standards. Experts warn that it is currently very hard to determine at which production stage banned substances are introduced, because tea changes hands several times during the process. As a result, there are calls to establish system of multiple checks in an industry that encompasses nearly 69,000 small tea gardens.