The Hindu Business Line : Tea shipment to Poland rejected

Varying facts
Tea Board officials, when contacted, said they had received notifications from the EU authorities.
However, the firm that shipped the consignment has said it has not got any complaint from its buyer.

Kochi/Chennai , Aug. 24

Three consignments of "granulated" tea exported to Poland have been rejected by the Customs authorities there on the grounds that the shipments contained arsenic and lead.

According to the European Union's Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF), the consignments were rejected on June 20, 28 and 29. Though the consignments could cost a few million rupees, their exact cost is not known. Nor are the details of the exporter. Tea Board officials, when contacted, said they had received notifications from the EU authorities. However, the firm that shipped the consignment has said it has not got any complaint from its buyer.

"We have received a copy of the notification from the EU. We have asked the exporter for explanation and are waiting for his reply," said Dr H.N. Dwibedi, Controller - Licensing of the Tea Board. "There are certain provisions to act against the exporter and we can go only by that," he said.

In fact, RASFF has sent "Information notification" to the Tea Board. This means risk in food or feed had been identified but EU members need not take immediate action as the product did not reach the market.

These notifications are usually on food or feed that are tested and rejected on EU borders.

Industry sources said the granulated tea was actually CTC (crushed tear curl) leaf. On the presence of arsenic and lead, they said it could be due to adulteration or if the exporter had tried to add colour or flavour to the consignment that was being shipped.

Export figures

Poland is one of the key buyers of India tea in the European Union. During January-March this year, exports to Poland declined to 0.66 million kg (mkg), valued at Rs 5.36 crore, compared with 0.85 mkg, worth Rs 6.7 crore, during the same period last year. Over the last two years, shipments to Poland have been on the decline. Exports during 2005 were estimated to have declined to less than 4 mkg from about 5 mkg in 2004.

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