Tea manufacturers are required to ensure that their products are packed and labeled in strict compliance with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) regulations. With increasingly stringent oversight under the FSS (Packaging and Labelling) Regulations, 2011, failure to meet these norms can result in penalties. One critical regulation is the prohibition of any colouring substances in tea.

However, FSSAI permits the use of up to 0.2% pectinase enzyme to enhance flavour characteristics, as well as the inclusion of natural flavours and natural flavouring substances derived from plant-based sources.

At SIMA LABS, we actively support the Indian tea industry by offering analytical testing services that are recognized and trusted by both domestic and international buyers. Our tea testing certificates and reports help manufacturers and exporters meet compliance requirements laid out by FSSAI, the Tea Board of India, and the Export Inspection Council.

We test for essential quality markers such as caffeine and catechin, which are vital to assessing tea quality and are often subject to minimum threshold levels. With SIMA LABS as your testing partner, you can be confident in delivering safe, high-quality tea that meets all regulatory and market expectations.

• Physical & General Analysis (odour, taint and mustiness, living and dead insects, rodent contamination, extraneous matter, etc.)
• Chemical Analysis (added colouring matter, total ash, water-soluble ash, acid-insoluble ash, alkalinity of soluble ash expressed as KOH, water extract, crude fibre, etc.)
• Nutritional Analysis & Labelling (energy, protein, carbohydrates, cholesterol, etc.)
• Fatty acid profile (SFA, MUFA and PUFA) & Trans fatty acids
• Naturally Occurring Toxic Substances (Agaric acid, Hydrocyanic acid, Hypercine and Safrole)
• Minerals (calcium, magnesium, sodium, zinc, etc.)
• Mycotoxins (total aflatoxin, aflatoxin B1, aflatoxin B2, etc.)
• Heavy metal residues (lead, mercury, arsenic, copper, cadmium, etc.)
• Melamine
• Additives (benzoates, calcium lactate, diacetyltartaric and fatty acid esters of glycerol, fumaric acid, monosodium L- glutamate, potassium dihydrogen citrate, etc.)
• Antibiotics Residues
• Pesticide Residues
• Shelf life Testing
• Microbiological parameters (total plate count, total coliform count, yeast and mould count, salmonella and shigella, E. coli, etc.)
• Molecular Testing
• Allergens (celery, mollusc, milk, egg, fish, etc.)
• GMO Testing
• Test for Active Components (Qualitative)
• Particle size analysis
• ETO and ECH Testing
• MCPDs and GE Testing
• Food Application and recipe engineering
• Radioactive residues
• Steroids and Hormone Testing
• Sensory Evaluation
• Dioxins, PCBs, PAHs & Furans