Notification of the Ministry of Public Health (No. 196) B.E. 2543 (2000) Re: Tea

(Unofficial) Notification of the Ministry of Public Health (No. 196) B.E. 2543 (2000) Re: Tea. It deems appropriate to amend the notification of the Ministry of Public Health, Re: Tea. By the virtue of provisions of Section 5 and 6 (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) and (10) of the Food Act B.E. 2522 (1979), in which contain provisions in relation to the restriction of Rights and Liberties of the Persons, in respect of which Section 29 and in conjunction with Section 35, Section 48 and Section 50 of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand so permit by virtue of provisions of law; the Minister of Public Health hereby issues the notification as follows: Clause 1. The notification of the Ministry of Public Health No. 58 B.E. 2524 (1981), Re: Tea, dated 29th May B.E. 2524 (1981), shall be repealed. Clause 2. Tea is prescribed food to have qualities or standards. Clause 3. Tea as stipulated in Clause 2 can be classified into 3 types as follow: (1) Tea means young dried leaves, crowns, and branches of tea in Camellia Family. (2) Instant tea means product derives from spray dry extraction of tea into powder which is easy to dissolve for instant consumption. (3) Ready-to-drink tea means product of tea as stipulated in (1) or (2) which is mixed with other ingredients for ready to be consumed and is packed in dry or liquid form in the sealed containers shall follow to this notification. Clause 4. Tea, as stipulated in 3(1), shall be of the qualities or standards as follows: (1) Moisture content not more than 8% by weight. (2) Total ash not less than 4% and not more than 8% by weight of dried tea. (3) Water soluble ash not less than 45% of total ash. (4) Hot water extract not less than 32% of dried tea weight. (5) Caffeine content not less than 1.5% of weight. (6) No colour added. In case of flavoured tea, the used flavouring agents shall not be hazardous to health and shall be approved from the Food and Drug Administration. © 2003 FDA, MOPH. Clause 5. Tea, as stipulated in 3(2), shall be of the qualities or standards as follows: (1) Moisture content not more than 6% by weight. (2) Total ash not more than 20% by weight of dry instant tea. (3) Caffeine content not less than 4.0% of weight, except for decaffeinated instant tea in which caffeine content shall follow to approval from the Food and Drug Administration. (4) No colour added. In case of flavoured instant tea, the used flavouring agents shall not be hazardous to health and must be approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Clause 6. Tea, in liquid form as stipulated in 3(3), shall be of the qualities or standards as follows: (1) Odour and taste inherent of that specific characteristics of tea. (2) Free of sediment, except for natural sediment from ingredients. (3) Water to be used in production shall have qualities or standards conforming to the notification of the Ministry of Public Health, Re: Drinking water in sealed containers. (4) Coloform bacteria shall be detected less than 2.2 per 100 millilitre of ready-to drink tea by Most Probable Number Method (MPN). (5) Escherichia coli shall not be detected. (6) Free of pathogenic microorganisms. (7) Free of toxic substances released by microorganisms or other toxic substances in quantity which may be hazardous to health. (8) Free of yeast and mould. (9) Contaminants shall be detected not more than that prescribed as the followings: (9.1) Arsenic not more than 0.2 mg. per 1 kg. of liquid ready-to-drink tea. (9.2) Lead not more than 0.5 mg. per 1 kg. of liquid ready-to-drink tea. (9.3) Copper not more than 5 mg. per 1 kg. of liquid ready-to-drink tea. (9.4) Zinc not more than 5 mg. per 1 kg. of liquid ready-to-drink tea. (9.5) Iron not more than 15 mg. per 1 kg. of liquid ready-to-drink tea. (9.6) Tin not more than 250 mg. per 1 kg. of liquid ready-to-drink tea. (9.7) Sulfur dioxide not more than 10 mg. per 1 kg. of liquid ready-to-drink tea. (10) Usage of artificial sweetener shall follow to Food Standard of Joint FAO/WHO, Codex, Re: Food additives and the amended version and may be used in single or combination with sugar. © 2003 FDA, MOPH. In case where no standards is prescribed in the first phrase, the Food and Drug Administration shall prescribe according to an approval of the Food Committee. (11) Preservatives shall be prescribed to use as follows; (11.1) Sulfur dioxide not more than 70 mg. per 1 kg. of liquid ready-to-drink tea. (11.2) Benzoic acid or sorbic acid or salts of both acids, to be calculated as acid, not more than 200 mg. per 1 kg. of liquid ready-to-drink tea. Usage of preservatives, as stipulated in (11.1) or (11.2), shall be individually used, in case where more than one preservatives are used, the total quantity of preservatives used shall not be more than the least allowed quantity. In necessary case where other preservatives to be used are differ from the stipulation above, such usage must be approved by the Food and Drug Administration. (12) Usage of other ingredients, to flavour in ready-to-drink tea, shall not be hazardous to health and must be approved by the Food and Drug Administrative. Clause 7. Ready-to-drink tea powder shall be of the qualities or standards as follows: (1) Moisture content not more than 6% by weight. (2) When dissolved according to label, shall be of the qualities or standards as stipulated in Clause 6. Clause 8. Tea producers or importers for sale shall follow to the notification of the Ministry of Public Health, Re: Production processes, production equipments, and foods storages. Clause 9. Usage of containers for tea shall follow to the notification of the Ministry of Public Health, Re: Containers. Clause 10. Labels for tea shall follow to the notification of the Ministry of Public Health, Re: Labels. Clause 11. Food Registration or Food Labelling , which are issued to follow the notification of the Ministry of Public Health No. 58 B.E. 2524 (1981), Re: Tea, dated 29th May B.E. 2524 (1981), prior to this notification, shall be valid for 2 years as from the come into force date of this notification. Clause 12. Tea producers or importers, whose permits issued prior to this notification, shall apply for food serial number within one year as from the come into force date of this notification. After applying for food serial number, tea producers or importers shall be abated from stipulation in Clause 8 for a period of 2 years after this notification come into force. As a result, the remaining © 2003 FDA, MOPH. labels are allowed to be used until last but not exceeding to 2 years after this notification come into force. Clause 13. This notification shall come into force after 180 days as from the day following date of its publication in the Government Gazette. Notified on 19th September 2000. Signed Korn Thupparungsri (Mr. Korn Thupparungsri) Minister of Public Health (Published in the Government Gazette Vol. 118, Special Part 6 Ngor, dated 24th January 2001) Note: This English version of the notification is translated to meet the need of the non-Thai speaking people. In case of any discrepancy between the Thai original and the English translation, the former will take priority. © 2003 FDA, MOPH.