Western buyers shun Nepali tea over anthraquenone fears
Growers of organic tea in Nepal are reporting significantly lower purchases from Western buyers, particularly Germany, over the threat of anthraquenone. Organic Nepali tea from Ilam region, usually snapped up by buyers from Germany, USA, UK, Austria, France and Japan and often purchased in advance, has seen demand and prices collapse due to the presence of the chemical anthraquenone found in a shipment to Germany last year. According to growers, the quantities were not significant to pose risks to human health, yet it is unclear how the chemical showed up in tests. Despite trying to address the issue, interest seems to remain dampened and is compounded by the lack of rainfall, which affected the quality of this year's leaves.