INDIA

"Tea" is only for Camellia Sinensis

India's food safety regulator has directed companies to stop using the word "tea" for beverages not derived from the camellia sinensis plant, a move that aligns the world's second-largest tea producer with strict botanical definitions but threatens the branding of the booming herbal wellness sector.

The order effectively bans common market terms like "rooibos tea," "herbal tea," and "flower tea" unless the product contains leaves from the specific evergreen shrub defined by global standards.

Under the new rules, infusions made from chamomile, hibiscus, or peppermint-technically known as tisanes - must drop the 'tea' suffix.

The directive hinges on a rigid biological distinction often unknown to everyday users. Scientifically, "true tea" (black, green, white, and oolong) comes exclusively from the camellia sinensis plant, a shrub native to East Asia. In India, it was introduced at some locations by the British in the 1830s as part of an effort to break China's dominance at the time. The leaves contain caffeine and the amino acid L-theanine, a unique chemical profile that distinguishes them from herbal infusions.

Source: Hindustan Times (Extracts), Courtesy: Tea Exporters' Association Sri Lanka