The government today said the Indian tea industry is constantly taking steps to make cultivation more sustainable and reduce its reliance on synthetic plant protection formulations to ensure that the beverage continues to meet the high standards.
"The Tea Board of India would like to dispel any misconceptions about Indian tea in the eyes of consumers at large. Indian teas are well regarded the world over and are totally safe following stringent standards," an official statement said.
On the issue that 34 pesticides were found in branded tea samples, it argued that 37 Central Insecticide Board and Registration Committee have approved Plant Protection Formulations (PPF) for use in tea.
A study undertaken by environmental NGO Greenpeace over a year has allegedly found the presence of harmful pesticide residues including toxic dichlorodiphenyl trichloroethane (DDT) and Monocrotophos (an insecticide) in tea sold by leading brands across India.
Countering this, the Board said that the country has stopped the usage of Monocrotophos.
"It is to be noted that even after usage of a chemical is stopped, it is possible to detect minor residues for some time thereafter as they may persist in the environment. The presence of residues is not to be equated with actual usage," it said.
Similarly for DDT, it said DDT is banned for use in agriculture since 1989 and tea plantations across India have long stopped use of the chemical as a crop protection formulation.
Traces of DDT are likely to have been found owing to the extensive length of time that DDT takes to degrade in the soil, therefore lasting longer in the environment to which it is introduced.
Also DDT is still widely in use by public health bodies as a measure of control for vector borne diseases such as malaria which may lead to some degree of runoff into adjoining areas, it added.
"It is relevant to point out that because of its long persistence, mere detection of traces of DDT cannot be construed as improper direct use in tea plants," it said.
Further it said that the level at which a PPF could be harmful is determined on a specific basis with respect to each PPF and as long as each residue level is within limits on a consistent basis, the product is safe for consumers.
India is the world's second largest tea producer after China. India's tea production in 2013-14 increased by about 8 per cent to 1,224.48 million kg on account of higher output in Assam and West Bengal.
Assam and West Bengal are the major tea-producing states, accounting for 80 per cent of India's total output. Tea production in the southern states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka was up 13 per cent at 244.47 million kg.
