Abstract:
Tea (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze) is an important cash crop contributing to
economic wellbeing and wealth in many developing countries. The crop creates
employment opportunities and development in the rural areas in addition to generating
foreign exchange. Tea beverages are the second most consumed fluids after water. For
such a widely consumed product, quality maintenance is of utmost importance. Quality tea
refers to tea with components that are desirable to the market and that does not subject
consumers to health risks. Such quality criteria should be based on" reliable, measurable
and reproducible" parameters, verifiable through independent analysis. For black tea, the
ISO 3720 developed, set limits on water extract, total ash, water soluble ash, alkalinity of
water soluble ash, acid soluble ash and crude fibre but excluded moisture content though …