Abstract
Presence of iron filings in made tea (MT) is a serious issue in the tea industry with the implementation of FSSAI regulations. In this scenario, the estimation of iron filings in tea is a critical operation. Unfortunately, the widely accepted method of analysis as per IS 3633 is having a lot of limitations to obtain a reproducible result. Attempts were made to quantify the possible factors affecting the accuracy of the result. Critical attempts were also made to investigate the impact of iron filings on the quality attributes of made tea as well as the tea liquor. Other aspects like adulteration of tea with iron filings and its possible health hazards are also discussed.
Highlights
Iron filing is an extraneous matter entering into made tea (MT) during the process of manufacturing
The present study revealed that the gauss power of the magnet and post magnetic separation grinding are more important than that of handiness in operation
It is evident that the increase in the level of iron filings deteriorates the quality of MT as well as tea liquor
Summary
Iron filing is an extraneous matter entering into made tea (MT) during the process of manufacturing. This contamination occurs mainly through the wear and tear of machinery, though many other sanitary measures are contributing to this malady (Anonymous, 1997; Baby and Murugesan, 2009). This is a serious issue in CTC (Crush Tear Curl) tea compared to orthodox tea as the grinding action of the machinery is more in CTC manufacturing.
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