Nearly Half of Tea Packets Fail Food Safety Tests, RTI Reveals

Guwahati: An RTI reply from the Tea Board has revealed that nearly half of the packet tea samples tested across India over the past two years failed food safety standards. Of 1,423 samples tested in 2024–25, 711 failed, while 835 out of 1,764 samples failed in 2025–26.

The Tea Board declined to disclose the names of the brands involved, citing RTI exemptions. Officials said action has been taken under existing rules. According to sources, the failures were mainly due to excessive pesticide residues, use of non-permitted chemicals, and misleading labelling. The government is also considering revised pesticide residue limits to improve compliance with food safety standards.