The US Food and Drug Administration has recognised tea from the plant Camellia sinensis as a “healthy” beverage. This recognition aligns with the growing body of scientific evidence supporting the health benefits of tea.
Key Highlights
This significant development allows manufacturers to voluntarily label tea products with the “healthy” claim, provided they meet the updated criteria.
In the Executive Summary of the FDA’s announcement, it was noted that all water, tea, and coffee with less than 5 calories per Reference Amount Customarily Consumed (RACC) and per labeled serving automatically qualify for the “healthy” claim. RACC tells how much an average person would be expected to eat/drink in one sitting.
Tea, Camellia sinensis, which belongs to the family Theaceae, is a shrub or evergreen tree up to 16 m in height.
The tea plant, Camellia sinensis, is native to the region that is now South West China, North East India, and Northern Burma/Myanmar.
The plant is believed to have originated in the Yunnan region of China, which is known for its many forests.
Tea Production
India is the 2nd largest tea producer and largest black tea producer with production at around 1350 M. Kgs and self-sufficient to meet out the domestic requirements and export obligations.
India is also the largest consumer of black tea and consumes around 18% of the total World tea consumption.
Indian teas are exported to various destinations and is the 4th largest tea exporter besides catering to a large number of domestic consumers.
China is the world’s largest producer of green tea, producing over half of the world’s green tea and more than 3 million metric tons of tea in 2022.
China is also the world’s largest tea producer overall.
