When tea is adulterated, its health benefits are not the same. It can even be harmful to health depending on what substance is used to adulterate it.
The adulterants commonly present in tea are exhausted tea leaves and coloring substances. The use of pre-used tea leaves and processed and colored tea can increase the risk of liver disorders and other health problems.
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) regularly posts videos to inform the general public about common adulterations and the way to test the authenticity of food products. A recent video details the process to check the adulteration of tea with exhausted tea leaves.
Here are the steps to check adulteration in your tea with exhausted leaves:
Take a filter paper. Spread the tea leaves on filter paper. Sprinkle with water to make filter paper wet. Now wash the filter paper under tap water. Then observe the stains on the filter paper against the light.
No staining will be observed on the filter paper with unadulterated tea leaves. The filter paper with adulterated tea leaves will have blackish-brown coloured strain on it.
Source: Medindia
