The FSSAI had issued a statutory advisory on November 19, 2013, where the tea manufacturers were allowed a temporary limit of 150mg per kg of iron filings in tea till the final decision on the safety parameters could be taken. The FSSAI is still awaiting the final report from the Hyderabad based National Institute of Nutrition before their panel makes a final assessment about what limit of iron filings is unsafe for human consumption. The final timeline about deciding the limit of iron filings had been extended earlier to May 23, 2014, and to May 23, 2015, before the new timeline of November 21, 2015.
It is acknowledged that there could be no deliberate iron filing adulteration on the part of the tea manufacturers as the iron filings are probably reaching tea powder from the manufacturing process. Tea leaves are dried in sieves with iron meshes and leaves are crushed with iron rollers. Crushing machines made form iron could be releasing iron particles into the tea due to friction. Normally tea manufacturers use huge magnets to remove the iron particles but it is possible that very tiny particles of iron do not get attracted to the magnet and remain in the tea.
Safety concerns have been raised because iron is normally not harmful unless there is an excess of iron in the human body. Excessive iron could lead to liver cirrhosis, cancer of the esophagus, osteoporosis, diabetes and even heart failure. However, according to the Federation of All India Tea Traders Association (FAITTA) preliminary reports from NIN suggest that iron filings found in tea may not really harm the human body even if it 2 to 5 times the present permitted a level of 150mg/kg.
FSSAI may have fixed the limit to 150mg/kg as in most countries the limit is fixed at 120mg/kg. FAITTA has appealed to the Tea Board of India to increase the limit of iron filings in tea to 500mg per kilogram of tea as is the norm in developing countries. FSSAI would like to err on the positive side because concerns have been raised and demands have been made not to raise the limits of iron filing limits in tea over 150mg per kg. Tea manufacturers, on the other hand, would like to have the limit increased so that they do not have to have face allegations about adulteration in tea. They would also not like their tea consignments to be rejected because of a higher quantity of iron filings found than presently permitted. FSSAI’s final permitted level of iron filings in tea largely depends on NIN’s final report which it has to yet submit to the Tea Board of India.
Dr. Baby UI says
Dear Sir
What is the status of NIN study on impact of Iron filings in tea on humanbeings