General information
Tea leaves or tea bags; check beneficiaries habits.
- Grade: BOP (Broken Orange Pekoe), 100% orthodox, free from CTC processing (Crush, Tear, Curl).
- As per ISO3720 standard – Black tea, definition and basic requirements. Dried and sound processed leaves, buds and tender stems, suitable for making tea.
- Free from Synthetic Caffeine. Use of synthetic caffeine is not authorized and will result in rejection of the entire batch.
- Preferred countries of origin for tea remain India, Sri Lanka, Vietnam or Kenya.
- The product must not contain Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), and be free from radioactive residues/elements. It cannot contain any substances originating from micro-organisms or any other poisonous or deleterious substances such as anti-nutritional factors, heavy metals, pesticide residues or toxins in amounts which may represent a hazard to health. Analysis of microbiological, chemical contaminant, toxins, heavy metals and pesticide residues must certify the product is “fit for human consumption”. The supplier shall submit related Lab reports / Declarations.
- Importation of food is always subject to acceptance by the national authorities, based on national specifications; check these before purchasing.
- Impact on the local, national, or regional market availability and prices should be carefully looked into before purchasing large quantities.
Specifications
For all aspects of the product, unless described otherwise below, the standard of Codex Alimentarius last edition applies, including for the packaging.
BOP TEA leaves
Foreign matter |
Free |
Organoleptic |
Free from abnormal colour or smell |
Visible fungus |
Free |
Moisture |
6-8% max. |
Dust |
5% max. |
Water/Hydro extract |
32% min. |
Total Ash |
4-8% max. |
Water soluble ash (as ratio of total ash) |
45% |
Acid insoluble ash |
1% max. |
Alkalinity of water soluble ash |
1-3% max. |
Crude fibre |
16% max. |
Natural caffeine |
0.025 min. |
Total Polyphenols |
9% min. |
Heavy metals
|
|
Production |
Fresh production |
Brand |
To be indicated |
Origin |
To be indicated |
Shelf life |
Minimum 2 years from date of production |
Additional country-specific specifications
Yemen
Pesticides and heavy metals
Pesticide Residues & Heavy Metals in accordance with CODEX MRLs (Maximum Residue Limits), to be provided by Supplier.
Packaging, tea leaves
Laminated pouch packaging, free of pin-holes.
Labelling
As per Codex STAN 1: Name of the food, the list of ingredients unless for single ingredients food, net content weight or drain content weight, name and address, country of origin, lot identification, dates marking, storage instructions, instructions for use, quantitative labelling of emphasised ingredients, irradiated food, culturally restricted components.
Latest update: 14/05/2020