Are You Really Drinking Tea? Food Regulator Clears The Air On What Counts As ‘Tea’

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has clarified that only products made from the Camellia sinensis plant can legally be sold as “tea” in India. The move is aimed at curbing misleading

labels in the rapidly expanding herbal and wellness drinks market.

In a clarification issued on December 24, 2025, the food regulator said it had found several companies selling products such as herbal tea, flower tea and rooibos tea using the word “tea”, even though these items are not made from Camellia sinensis.

“It has come to the notice of FSSAI that some Food Business Operators are marketing products that are not obtained from the plant Camellia sinensis under the name ‘Tea’,” the authority said.

The regulator pointed out that the legal definition of tea is already clearly mentioned in food safety standards. “As per standards specified under the Food Safety and Standards Regulations, Tea (including Kangra Tea, Green Tea, and Instant Tea in solid form) shall be exclusively from the plant Camellia sinensis,” the clarification stated.

FSSAI also highlighted existing labelling rules, stressing that consumers must be given clear and accurate information. Under the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020, “every package shall carry the name of the food which indicates the true nature of the food contained in the package, on the front of pack.”

Based on these rules, the authority said using the term “tea” for other plant-based drinks is misleading and illegal. “The use of the word ‘Tea’ directly or indirectly for any other plant-based or herbal infusions or blends not derived from Camellia sinensis is misleading and amounts to misbranding,” FSSAI said, adding that this violates the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

For makers of herbal and flower-based infusions, the regulator said such products cannot be named as tea. These drinks may instead be classified as proprietary foods or come under the Food Safety and Standards (Approval for Non-Specified Food and Food Ingredients) Regulations, 2017, depending on what they contain.

The clarification applies to all manufacturers, packers, importers, sellers and e-commerce platforms. They have been “directed to comply with the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Regulations and refrain from using the term ‘Tea’ for any products not derived from Camellia sinensis.”

To ensure the rules are followed, FSSAI has asked state and union territory food safety officials to closely monitor the market.

“In case of non-compliance, necessary action shall be initiated as per the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006,” the regulator warned.

The decision is expected to push many brands to rethink their product names, as FSSAI reinforces a clear message to the industry and consumers alike: tea must come from the tea plant.