Brand ‘nilgiris tea’ under threat as adulteration becomes rampant

The Nilgiris tea is known for its unique aroma and flavour. However, adulterated tea powder manufactured illegally and sold by unscrupulous retailers has put the pride and reputation of tea cultivators in the district at stake.

Tea production is the back bone of the hill district’s fragile economy as it provides direct employment to more than three lakh people, who are engaged in plucking tea leaves, transportation and processing.

Pretty much in demand across the year, the Nilgiris tea is increasingly coming under a negative spotlight. Consumers have raised concerns over the market being flooded with adulterated teas manufactured by numerous factories in the region.

In a recent crackdown, the Tea Board officials raided a private tea factory in Sholur village on June 12 and seized a whopping 40 tonnes of adulterated tea and colourants. The unit was then sealed. However, this is only a tip of the iceberg as several factories are allegedly involved in the illegal activity.

When contacted, B Venugopal, founder of Nilgiris Small Scale Tea Growers Awareness Centre, said the increasing demand for the Nilgiris tea has prompted factories to resort to adulteration.

“As much as 80 per cent tea factories here produce sub-standard tea powder by way of adulteration to meet the demand. The tea waste generated during the production process is used again to increase the output. Adulterants are also mixed heavily,” he added. The husks of cashew saw dust, tea dust, leftovers in tea decoction as well as colouring agents are mixed to make adulterated tea.

According to S Manogaran, president of Coonoor Consumer Protection Association, tea plantations can be found everywhere in the district but getting original tea has become a challenge.

“I have almost stopped consuming tea in shops, as only adulterated teas are sold widely,” he said, adding that regular raids should be conducted on factories and shops to ensure compliance. He, however, acknowledges that carrying out regular raids might not be possible as both the Tea Board and Food safety department are reeling under a severe staff shortage.

The issue has been raised several times by the Coonoor Consumer Protection Association with officials of the district administration but to no avail. Significantly, worried over the brand getting spoilt, tea cultivators too have sought for increased monitoring and frequent crackdowns on such firms, which resort to adulteration.

“Adulterated tea is sold widely in all picnic spots. Already, the tea leaves grown in the Nilgiris have not been fetching remunerable prices. Such being the case, rampant sale of sub-standard or adulterated tea may pose a challenge to market the original tea,” said S Haldorai, a tea grower.