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Shaping the Future of Tea: ISO Convenes a Key Meeting in Sri Lanka
Officials from 10 National Standards Bodies (NSBs) representing ten member countries convened in Colombo today for the 30th plenary meeting of the International Organization for Standardization’s (ISO) Technical Committee on Tea (ISO TC 34/ SC 8). Hosted by the Sri Lanka Standards Institution (SLSI) with support from the European Union-funded BESPA-FOOD project and implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), this event marks the first in-person meeting for the ISO TC 34/ SC 8 since the COVID-19 pandemic. The ISO/TC 34/ SC 8 provides member countries around the world the opportunity to discuss new standards related to the tea industry and to improve on existing ones in keeping with the advancements in Research & Development and to understand and cater to the market trends."Sri Lanka is honoured to host this important meeting”, Director General/ Chief Executive Officer of SLSI Dr. Siddhika G Senaratne said, “The Tea manufacturing industry in Sri Lanka is fully aligned with ISO standards and as a country, we play a pivotal role in ensuring consistent quality and safety across tea-producing nations.”The ISO meeting focused on crucial discussions and evaluations of various international market parameters for tea production worldwide. Topics discussed ranged from standardization in the field of tea (Camellia sinensis) covering the fields of compositional standards for different types of tea, testing methods for quality (including sensory and composition), good manufacturing practice (including transportation), facilitating clarity in quality of tea for international trade, and to meet consumer expectation of the quality of tea. Some of the specific topics discussed at the annual ISO/TC 34/SC 8 on tea included introducing a method for classifying tea by chemical analysis, exploring the possibility of standardizing white tea, introducing a vocabulary for green tea, defining the characteristics of masala chai powder, and introducing terminology for black tea. Revisions to existing standards for instant tea in solid form were also addressed.Commenting on the event, UNIDO Senior International Technical Specialist Dr Jairo Villamil Diaz said, “One of the key pillars of the EU-funded BESPA-FOOD Project in Sri Lanka is to support the development and adoption of international standards for the agri-food sector, enabling the local agri-food value chain to gain access to lucrative markets here and abroad.” The 30th ISO/TC 34 /SC 8 on Tea ...
FEATURE-Turning point of Sri Lankan tea is in polyphenol based tea ...
Features By Lalin I De Silva I said it earlier and repeatedly now, as the time is opportune to discuss the above topic under an apolitical President with an illustrious career history of strategic interventions. He could light up millions of lives with a single decision taken today, in favour of the suggestions we furnish through this article. Nevertheless, it will become a lost opportunity for the plantation employees if we continue to resort to no action talk only policy. Almost all the plantation issues today are pivoting around a single most indicator which is the NSA or the net sale averages of individual crops. We are eager to find out who is at fault and not what is at fault. Here is an opportunity for both a strategic intervention combined with IT/ICT based system improvements without further delay with the ultimate objective of turning around plantations industry. Since I suggested the polyphenol-based marketing a few years back, the Japanese appear to have developed the machine to determine polyphenol content of made tea, tried and tested in many tea growing countries, including in Sri Lanka. Polyphenol based demand for tea, therefore is a strong possibility. Continuous developments are taking place with many beverage producers with the help of leading beverage universities in the world. We are yet to initiate action in this direction. A high-quality strategic plan is essential to drive the tea industry forward. The entrepreneurial mindset is an absolute need of the hour as more than 75 per cent of the national production of tea comes from the smallholder sector. Growth strategies must take precedent over the regulatory process. It is our candid opinion that the state officials manning the industry are more comfortable with regulation and less interested in growth. Leading an ailing industry only through regulation is somewhat comparable with strangulating to death. We are somewhat unfortunate that we don't appear to be embracing the MPH concept (meritocracy, pragmatism and honesty) like in Singapore, Dubai etc. But such deficiencies should not be hindrances to support an entrepreneurial culture that can help the tea industry to achieve its true potential (US$5 billion per annum). Sadly, many developments are taking place in the industry at a global level whereas, we are dilly-dallying with closing down the tea factories owing to introducing additives and creating mayhem by calling the best part of our tea production as refuse tea. Laws are mea...
Leading Climate Resilience from Sri Lanka's Tea Fields
Talawakelle Tea Estates PLC invited to be Patron of the Climate Emergency Task Force of UN Global Compact Network Sri Lanka Amidst Sri Lanka's rolling tea fields, where mist meets mountain and livelihoods depend on the delicate balance of nature, Talawakelle Tea Estates PLC (TTE PLC) is redefining what climate leadership looks like on the ground. As a pioneer in sustainable plantation ...
SL March tea production falls 3.53 M/Kg - Hiru News - Srilanka's Number ...
Sri Lanka's tea production for March 2026 totalled 20.90 million kilograms, reflecting a decline of 3.53 million kilograms compared with the 24.43 million kilograms recorded in March 2025.
