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Agricultural Product Standards Act, 1990 (Act No. 119 of 1990)

Regulations

Regulations relating to Tea and related products intended for sale in the Republic of South Africa

Part IV : Marking Requirements

12. Additions to the product name

 

(1) The expression “blend” shall form part of the product name in the case where—
(a) two or more categories of tea are blended and packed in the same container;
(b) one or more categories of tea are blended with a herbal infusion; or
(c) a specific category of tea was source from different countries, locations or geographical areas and blended.

 

(2) When a foodstuff, herbal infusion and/or a fruit infusion, herb and/ or spice have been added to tea or related products, the actual name of the added foodstuff, herbal infusion, fruit infusion, herb and/ or spice shall form part of the product name: Provided that where a mixture of two or more kinds of herbs or spices have been added, the expression “mixed herbs” or “mixed spices”, as the case may be, may be used instead.

 

(3) When a flavouring has been added to tea or a related product in order to render a distinctive specific flavour thereto, the product name concerned shall be preceded by the descriptive name for the distinctive flavour concerned and the expression “X Flavoured”, or followed by the expression “with X Flavour” or “with X Flavouring”, where “X” indicates the name(s) of the flavouring(s) used, unless the flavourant concerned has been added with the intention to enhance the flavour of the added foodstuff, herbal infusion, fruit infusion, herb or spice concerned.

 

(4) The expression “ground” shall form part of the product name in the case where a category of tea is presented for sale in the ground form.

 

(5) The expression “loose leaf” shall form part of the product name in the case where loose leaf tea is packed in the container.

 

(6) Notwithstanding the requirements in sub-regulations (2) and (3) above, the following applicable expressions only may be indicated as part of the product name: Provided that a complete ingredients list appear on the container:
(a) ‘Chai’ - if a blend of spices (e.g. cardamom, cinnamon, fennel, black pepper, cloves, etc.) has been added to the tea concerned; or
(b) ‘Earl Grey’ - if the tea concerned has been flavoured with oil from the rind of bergamot orange.

 

(7) The following information may be indicated as part of the product name and/or be indicated on its own:
(a) The name of a specific country, location or geographical area when the category of tea is derived exclusively from one country, location or geographical area.
(b) The name of a specific country, location or geographical area when a specific category of tea was source from different countries, locations or geographical areas, but the name of only a specific country, location or geographical area is indicate as the origin from where the tea is derived: Provide that—
(i) the largest percentage of the tea concerned originates from the named country, location or geographical area; and
(ii) the tea from the named country, location or geographical area lends the determining character to the tea blend concerned (e.g. ‘Ceylon blend’, ‘Assam tea blend’).
(c) The name or description used to distinguish between the various blends within a specific category of tea (e.g. English breakfast, Breakfast blend, House blend, Afternoon tea): Provided that if the expression “blend” forms part of such name or description, it shall be subject to the provisions of sub-regulation (1) above.
(d) The intensity of the tea when brewed (e.g. mild, medium, strong).
(e) The method used to obtain Instant tea (soluble tea extract) in the powder form, i.e. spray dried or freeze dried.
(f) The claims “100%”, “100% pure”, “100% tea”, “100% pure tea”, “pure tea” or “pure”, or any word or words having a similar meaning, in the case of Named tea and Unspecified tea, Instant tea (soluble tea extract), Decaffeinated tea and Decaffeinated instant tea only: Provided that if a flavouring and/or any foodstuff has been added to the afore-mentioned categories, these claims shall not be marked on the container of such products.