DEAS 1175 : 2023  
ICS 67.140.10  
 
© EAC 2023                                                                                                                              First Edition  2023   
 EAST AFRICAN STANDARD  
Production and processing of tea  — Code of practice  
EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY  DEAS 1175 : 2023  
ii © EAC  2023  – All righ ts reserved  
 Copyright notice  
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participants in the EAC standards development pro cess is permitted without prior permission from EAC, 
neither this document nor any extract from it may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form for 
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© East African Community  2023  — All rights reserved  
East African Community   
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Tanzania  
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Reproduction for sales purposes may be subject to royalty payments or a licensing agreement.  
Violators may be prosecuted . DEAS 1175 : 2023  
© EAC 2023  – All rights reserved  iii 
 Contents  Page 
Foreword  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .............................  v 
1 Scope  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................  1 
2 Normative references  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................  1 
3 Terms and definitions  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  1 
4 General requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..... 3 
4.1 Tea value chain  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .............  3 
4.2 Documentation requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ .....................  3 
5 Primary production  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .........  4 
5.1 Site se lection  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .........  4 
5.2 Nursery establishment and management  ................................ ................................ ...........................  4 
5.3 Management of Hangari (Tea Collection center)  ................................ ................................ ................  5 
5.4 Personnel  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  5 
5.5 Field Operations  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .... 5 
5.5.1  Land Preparation  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ... 5 
5.5.2  Fertilizer  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................  6 
5.5.3  Crop protection products  ................................ ................................ ................................ .....................  6 
5.6 Harvesting  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..............  7 
6 Processing/production facility  ................................ ................................ ................................ .............  7 
6.1 Location, design and layout  ................................ ................................ ................................ .................  7 
6.2 Hygiene F acilities  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .. 8 
6.3  Maintenance and Sanitation  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................  9 
6.4 Maintenance of Equipment  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................  9 
6.4.1  Cut – Tear and Curl (CTC) Machine  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..... 9 
6.4.2  Continuous Fermenting (CF) Machine  ................................ ................................ ................................  9 
6.4.3  Dryer  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .......................  9 
6.4.4  Utensils  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................  9 
6.5 Personal hygiene  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ... 9 
6.6 Process Control  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ... 10 
6.7 Finished product control  ................................ ................................ ................................ ....................  11 
6.8 Reception and handling of green leaf  ................................ ................................ ...............................  11 
6.9 Withering  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..............  12 
6.10  Rolling / CTC (crushing, tearing and curling)  ................................ ................................ ...................  12 
6.11  Oxidation  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..............  12 
6.12  Drying or firing  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..... 12 
6.13  Sorting and grading  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................  13 
6.14  Storage of un -packed graded teas  ................................ ................................ ................................ .... 13 
6.15  Packing and packaging materials  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 13 
7 Processing methods  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  13 
8 Training  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................  13 
9 Waste management/disposal  ................................ ................................ ................................ .............  14 
10 Pest control  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........  14 
11 Packaging  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .............  14 
12 Labelling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  14 
13 Storage  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .................  15 
14 Transport of end product ................................ ................................ ................................ ....................  15 DEAS 1175 : 2023  
iv © EAC  2023  – All righ ts reserved  
 15 Labor and worker’s welfare  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  16 
16 Environmental management  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..............  16 
Bibliography  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .....................  17 
 DEAS 1175 : 2023  
© EAC 2023  – All rights reserved  v 
 Foreword  
Development of the East African Standards has been necessitated by the need for harmonizing requirements 
governing quality of products and services in the East African Community. It is envisaged that  through 
harmonized standardization, trade barriers that are encountered when goods and services are exchanged 
within the Community will be removed.  
The Community has established an East African Standards Committee  (EASC)  mandated to develop and 
issue Eas t African Standards  (EAS) . The Committee is composed of representatives of the National 
Standards Bodies in Partner States, together with the representatives from the public and private sector 
organizations  in the community .  
East African Standards are dev eloped through  Technical Committees that are representative of key 
stakeholders including government, academia, consumer groups, private sector and other interested parties. 
Draft East African Standards are circulated to stakeholders through the National S tandards Bodies in the 
Partner States. The comments received are discussed and incorporated before finalization of standards, in 
accordance with the Principles and procedures for development of East Af rican Standards . 
East African Standards are subject to review, to keep pace with technological advances. Users of the East 
African Standards are therefore expected to ensure that they always have the latest versions of the standards 
they are implementing .  
The committee responsible  for this document is Technic al Committee EASC /TC 026, Tea and related 
products . 
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be subject of patent 
rights. EAC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.  DEAS 1175 : 2023    
 
© EAC 2023 – All rights reserved  
  
 Producti on and processing of tea  — Code of practice  
1 Scope   
This Draft East African Standard provides guidelines on the best practices during primary production, and 
processing of tea including workers health, safety and welfare, environmental protection to ensur e safety and 
quality for the purpose of tea value chain sustainability.  
2 Normative references   
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content constitutes 
requirements of this document.  For dated referen ces, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, 
the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.  
EAS 12, Potable water —Specification  
EAS 38, Labelling of pre -packaged foods —General requirements  
3 Terms and defi nitions   
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.  
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:  
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at http://www.iso.org/obp  
3.1  
foreign matter / extraneous matter  
organic  or inorganic material  other than tea leaf  
3.2 
maceration  
cutting of withered leaves into smaller particle sizes using Cut Tear and Curl (CTC) machine or Loerie Tea 
Processor (LTP)  
3.3 
reception  
designated point where plucked and transported tea leaves are received in the factory  
3.4 
rolling  
using the rolling tables to expose the surface area of tea and give the product shape  
  
2 © EAC  2023  – All righ ts reserved  
 3.5 
tea 
food product processed only from leav es, buds, tender and semi tender stalks of the Tea plant (Camellia 
sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze ) by the industrial established methods  
3.6 
withering  
gradual reduction of moisture content of the received tea leaves before maceration and rolling  
3.7 
tea value ch ain 
sequence of the steps and operations involved in the production, processing, distribution, storage and 
handling of tea and [its ingredients], from primary production to consumption  
3.8  
contaminant  
any biological or chemical agent, foreign matter, or o ther substances not intentionally added to tea which may 
compromise food safety or suitability  
3.9 
contamination  
introduction or occurrence of a contaminant in tea or tea environment  
3.10 
hazard  
a biological, chemical or physical agent in tea, or condition  of, tea, equipment or environment, with a potential 
to cause an adverse health effect or environmental deterioration  
3.11 
Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP)  
a system which identifies, evaluates, and controls hazards which are significant for food safety, worker safety, 
and environmental protection  
3.12  
Critical Control Point  
a step or operation at which control can be applied and is essential to prevent, eliminate or reduce a food 
safety hazard to acceptable levels  
3.13  
critical limit  
a crit erion (threshold) which separates acceptable tea from unacceptable tea.  
3.14 
calibration  
measuring and adjusting the output and rate of working of application equipment so as to achieve 
predetermined accuracy  
3.15 
Integrated pest management (IPM)  
considera tion of all available pest control techniques and subsequent integration of appropriate measures that 
discourage the development of pest populations and keep plant protection products and other interventions to 
levels that are economically justified and re duce or minimize risks to human health and the environment.  
3.16 
field establishment  
field planting, bringing into bearing and in filling of a tea plantation  
  
© EAC 2023  – All rights reserved  3 
 3.17 
organoleptic evaluation / sensory analysis  
a method of establishing acceptable tea quality b ased on appearance of dry leaf, liquor and infused leaf; color 
and odor of dry leaf; and taste characteristics of tea liquor  
3.18  
traceability  
ability to follow the movement of a feed or food through specified stage(s) of production, processing and 
distri bution  
3.19 
certification  
is the procedure by which official certification bodies, or officially recognized certification bodies, provide 
written or equivalent assurance that foods or food control systems conform to requirements Certification of 
food may b e, as appropriate, based on a range of inspection activities which may include continuous on -line 
inspection, auditing of quality assurance systems and examination of finished products.  
3.20  
audit 
is a systematic and functionally independent examination to determine whether activities and related results 
comply with planned objectives.  
3.21 
food grade packaging material  
packaging material, made of substances which are safe and suitable for their intended use and which will not 
impart any toxic substance o r undesirable odour or flavour to the product  
4 General requirements  
4.1 Tea value chain  
Stakeholders within the tea value chain shall undertake production, processing, distribution and trading of tea 
in a manner that ensures food safety and quality; worke r health, safety and welfare; environmental protection 
and sustainability. Adequate measures should be taken, as appropriate throughout the value chain in 
accordance with relevant Partner state regulations and standards but not limited to ISO:22000, ISO 
11286:2004 in order to achieve:  
a) Food safety by identifying practices and measures, monitor and control hazards associated with the 
product at each step.  
b) Food quality by identifying factors that compromise made tea quality and implement measures to 
ensure con formity to product specifications.  
c) Environmental protection and sustainability by adopting sustainable environmental practices.  
d) Worker health, safety and welfare by adhering to relevant legislations  
4.2 Documentation requirements  
Stakeholders within the te a value chain should establish, approve, implement and maintain necessary 
documents to demonstrate effective control of processes within the value chain, that have potential to 
negatively affect food safety; environmental protection and workers welfare and  health, . Documentation may 
include but not limited to the following:  
a) Policies and manuals for tea quality and food safety, environmental protection, and worker welfare 
and health,   
4 © EAC  2023  – All righ ts reserved  
 b) Records of approved tea growing sites  
c) Records of soil analysis  
d) Records for  production  
e) Records for pesticide residue analysis  
f) Records for heavy metals  
g) Records for pests and disease incidences  
h) Records for residue monitoring  
i) Records of stocked and applied fertilizer and crop protection products  
j) Procedures for handling harvested lea f 
k) Records for harvested leaf quality  
l) Records for monitoring  
m) Procedure for segregation and disposal  
n) Procedure for traceability, withdrawal and recall  
o) Procedures and programs for cleaning and disinfection  
p) Programs for pest control  
q) Personnel hygiene policy  
r) Prequalification of suppliers  
s) Records for training  
t) Personnel medical records  
5 Primary production  
Agronomic practices should comply with good agricultural practices (GAP) and recommendations in approved 
tea producer manuals.  
5.1 Site selection  
a) Tea should be grown in recommended agro -ecological sites complying with the relevant national 
legislative requirements for industrial crop production.  
b) In case of forested land, and land use change, an environmental impact assessment (EIA) license 
from National Environme nt Management Authority should be obtained.  
5.2 Nursery establishment and management  
a) The nursery site should have adequate water supply, sheltered from wind and exposed to the sun.  
b) The nursery soils should have top soils with a pH of about 5.6 and the subs oil pH of about 5.0   
© EAC 2023  – All rights reserved  5 
 c) Sites excavated for nursery soils should be rehabilitated  
d) Nursery construction and management practices should comply with the recommendations in the 
approved tea producer manuals  
e) Wooden construction materials used should be from a sust ainable source while complying with the 
legislations on protection of plant species.  
f) Fertilizers use, type and application rates be as per tea grower’s handbook or approved producer 
manual  
g) Non-biodegradable materials such as polythene used in the nursery s hould be disposed of in 
accordance with law on environment  
h) Planting material used should be approved in accordance with Law on the Seed and Plant Varieties, 
Biosafety and other relevant legislations.  
i) Use of agrochemicals for pest and disease control should  be limited to those approved for use in the 
tea industry in accordance with applicable legislations on chemical use.  
j) A nursery bed should be designed to accommodate all tea varieties/clones and serve as center of 
research to capture all information relati ng the tea and shedding trees in tea  
5.3 Management of Hangari (Tea Collection center)  
5.3.1  Hangar/Tea Collection center should be designed to assure that tea quality is not affected after 
harvesting and every center of collection should have clear instru ction describing the reception and rejection 
criteria, Quality Control measures, procedures of sorting, loading a truck and good hygienic practices.  
5.3.2  Every Collection center should have hygiene and first aid tools  
5.3.3  Every collection center should  have cleaning program, plan and record  
5.3.4  Every collection center should have dustbin for organic and non -organic  
5.4 Personnel  
Every collection center should have trained  personnel who conduct all activities relating Quality control 
(sorting, loading and so on).  
5.5 Field Operations  
5.5.1  Land Preparation  
a) Land preparation techniques (time, methods and technology) that minimize soil erosion and 
compaction, and safeguard the environment should be applied.  
b) Where necessary, soil PH correction should be bas ed on soil analysis reports to effect rehabilitation.  
c) Field establishment that ensures complete bush canopy for the control of weeds and prevent use of 
herbicide should be applied.  
d) Pruning should be done in accordance with approved tea producer manuals and  left in field for 
sustainable soil fertility.   
6 © EAC  2023  – All righ ts reserved  
 5.5.2  Fertilizer  
a) Fertilizer used should not contain potentially harmful substances and should comply with relevant 
East African Standards . 
b) Fertilizer application rates should be established and controlled to e nsure sustainability of the crop 
and environmental protection.  
c) Where applicable, fertilizer application machinery should be calibrated and maintained in a manner 
that will ensure accurate delivery rate and records should be maintained.  
d) Records of fertilize r application indicating location, date of application, type and quantity of fertilizer 
applied should be established and maintained.  
e) The stock records of fertilizer should be established and maintained. The fertilizer should be stored in 
a covered dry loc ation and not in the same room with pesticides or tea  
5.5.3  Crop protection products  
The grower should use crop protection products that are approved for use in tea crops and applied in a 
manner that protects the worker and the environment in accordance wi th approved manuals and relevant 
legislations;  
a) The choice of crop protection products, their storage and application, shall be appropriate and in 
accordance to the instructions on the label.  
b) The product used shall be registered by the competent authority  
c) Where they are technically feasible, recognized IPM techniques should be applied by competent 
persons.  
d) An up to date and complete list of all the crop protection products that are used and/or stored on the 
farm shall be maintained  
e) All applications of crop protection products should be recorded, including: field identification (number 
or code, location), application date, product trade name (brand), name of the operator/supervisor, 
application machinery (e.g. knapsack) and name of pest or diseases controlled . 
f) Application and measuring equipment should be well maintained and where necessary calibrated 
regularly to ensure accuracy of application rates and proper records should be maintained.  
g) All crop protection products should be transported in a safe manner wi th attention to minimizing 
possible danger to people, food products and the environment.  
h) When an original package is broken or damaged, and the product is transferred to another package, 
the new package should contain key information of the original label.  
i) Storage facilities should be appropriately designed with safety features, and a product inventory and 
manufacturer’s safety information should be maintained.  
j) Empty containers of crop protection products should not be re -used in any form or manner. Such 
containers should be safely stored and later disposed in accordance with relevant legislations.  
k) The disposal of the surplus application mixes and wash downs should be carried out in a manner that 
is not injurious to the worker and the environment.  
l) Obsolete c rop protection products should be labeled, stored and handled in a manner that prevents 
contamination   
© EAC 2023  – All rights reserved  7 
 5.6 Harvesting  
Harvesting should be done in a manner that is hygienic and protects the quality of the leaf. Measures should 
be taken to control leaf conta mination during plucking, handling, buying, weighing, transportation, and 
reception at the factory.  
a) There should be a clear Procedure and process for handling of fresh tea leaves from harvesting to 
receipt at the factory  
b) Criteria of reception and rejection  should be clearly pre -defined, communicated and documented  
c) Appropriate personal hygiene practices should be maintained and the personnel should be sensitized 
on appropriate behaviors, handling of equipment and personal protection.  
d) Harvesting and transport ation containers preferably aerated ones, should be used in tea only and 
should be clean, free from any foreign matter. Tea shall be packed lightly to avoid crushing and 
heating while on transit to the processing factory  
e) harvesting machines should be maint ained in good hygienic condition and the lubricants used should 
be  food grade,  
f) Mode of transport, equipment and containers used should be designed to prevent contamination and 
maintain leaf quality and hygiene  
g) Harvested leaf shall be transported to the processing factory as soon as is possible within the same 
day of harvesting  
h) The leaf should be handled with care to control contamination with foreign matter e.g. stones, grass 
etc. 
i) Measures should be put in place at buying and collection points(Hangari) t o control contamination and 
ensure that the leaf complies with set quality specification  
j) Weighing equipment should be calibrated on regular basis and in accordance with the legislation for 
weights and measures  
k) Records for harvested leaf, received, rejected  and reason of rejection/acceptance should be 
maintained  
l) For green leaf from a party other than the processing factory owner, transfer of ownership is at the 
buying point that may be the collection shed or point of delivery at the factory  
6 Processing /prod uction facility  
To ensure tea products are wholesome, safe for human consumption and the worker is protected from 
occupational hazards, tea processing location, premises and steps should conform to Good Manufacturing 
Practices (GMP) in accordance with EAS 39, and other relevant legislations  in partner states.  
6.1 Location, design and layout  
6.1.1  Tea processing premises should be located, designed, and constructed to facilitate necessary 
hygienic practices and effectively control food hazards and protect th e environmental. The location, design 
and layout ensure that:  
a) Sources of contamination, pollution, and threats to food safety are identified and appropriately 
controlled.   
8 © EAC  2023  – All righ ts reserved  
 b) Adequate maintenance, cleaning, disinfection and monitoring of transport vehicles, eq uipment, 
surfaces, ceilings and overhead structures is achieved  
c) Materials in contact with tea are of food grade quality, appropriately, designed; and easy to maintain 
and clean  
d) Wet and dry operations are adequately separated to reduce microbiological conta mination  
e) A room for sensory analysis of tea is available and designed in accordance with ISO 8589  
f) Workers safety is assured and maintained by appropriate use of personal protective equipment  
g) Waste is managed effectively to prevent recontamination of food, pest access and infestation  
6.1.2  Floors should be made of waterproof, non -absorbent, washable, non -slip and non -toxic material, 
without crevices, and should be easy to clean and disinfect. Adequate drainage should be provided  
6.1.3  Walls should be of wash able and non -toxic materials, light colored and should be easy to clean and 
disinfect  
6.1.4  Windows and other openings should be constructed so as to enhance ventilation and to avoid 
accumulation of dirt; windows and other openings should be fitted with sc reens. Such screens should be 
easily moveable for cleaning.  
6.1.5  Doors should have smooth surface and where appropriate, be self -closing and close fitted.  
6.1.6 Rooms  such as  offices, cloakrooms, toilets, and areas where animals are kept should be complet ely 
separated from and should not open directly on to product handling areas  
6.2 Hygiene Facilities  
Tea processing premises should have appropriate internal design, equipment layout and location that ensure 
maintenance of good hygiene throughout the plant  and prevention of cross contamination and the following 
should be provided:  
a) Washrooms, changing rooms, hand -washing facilities supplied with hot and cold water sand detergent  
b) Potable water conforming to EAS 12.  
c) Non-potable water used for steam production,  refrigeration, fire control and other similar purposes not 
connected with product should be carried in completely separate lines identifiable, preferably by 
colour, and with no cross -connection with or back -siphonage into system carrying potable water.  
d) Adequate natural or artificial lighting should be provided all over the factory. Light bulbs and fixtures 
suspended over food materials in any stage of production should be of a safety type and protected to 
prevent contamination of food in case of breakage.  
e) Clean compressed air for dry cleaning  
f) Food grade quality lubricants,  
g) Appropriate storage facilities packaging materials, finished products (unpackaged and packaged), 
lubricants, fumigants, etc  
h) Stairs that run away from product lines  
i) Facilities for appropri ate waste disposal   
© EAC 2023  – All rights reserved  9 
 j) Adequate cross -ventilation should be provided to prevent excessive heat, steam condensation and 
dust and to remove contaminated air. The direction of the air flow should never be from a dirty area to 
a clean area. Ventilation openings sh ould be provided with a screen. Screens should be easily 
removable for cleanin g 
6.3  Maintenance and Sanitation  
Maintenance and sanitation procedures programmes should be established to cover all areas of the 
manufacturing premises and ensure:  
a) Efficient op eration programmes are in place for all plant machinery and equipment  
b) Effective cleaning and disinfection programs for all facilities and equipment are undertaken  
c) Use of approved solvents, oils, lubricants, detergents and disinfectants  
d) Monitoring is done t o establish effectiveness of maintenance, cleaning and sanitation done  
e) Stainless equipment is highly recommended.  Rusty old and wooden equipment which cannot be 
easily cleaned and disinfected should be avoided, unless where its use would not be a source of  
contamination.  
6.4 Maintenance of Equipment  
6.4.1  Cut – Tear and Curl (CTC) Machine  
The machine should be cleaned  thoroughly after use with acceptable food grade cleaning agent s. 
6.4.2  Continuous Fermenting (CF) Machine  
The machine should also be cleaned  thoroughly after use with acceptable food grade cleaning agents 
6.4.3  Dryer  
The machine should be cleaned thoroughly  and its environment kept dry.  
6.4.4  Utensils  
Trays, basins and other utensils should be of stainless material  
6.5 Personal hygiene  
a) A personal hygie ne policy should be established and implemented to ensure that tea is not 
contaminated by food handlers  
b) Written instructions for acceptable personal hygiene should be visibly displayed at appropriate areas 
and enforced.  
c) Visitors to manufacturing and storag e areas should be sensitized on hygiene practices and wear 
protective clothing as appropriate.  
d) A documented and effective training program will be in place to ensure that employees, contractors 
and sub -contractors are competent in assigned duties, and are conversant with hygiene, accidents, 
and emergency procedures and any other issue critical to food safety. Medical examinations shall be 
conducted by authorized medical practitioner on every person before being employed. Routine 
examination shall be done af ter every six months to ensure every employee is fit and free from 
disease. There shall be record keeping of those conducted examinations for inspection purposes.   
10 © EAC  2023  – All righ ts reserved  
 e) The management of the factory should ensure that no person known or suspected to be suffering  
from a disease or with infected wounds, skin infections, sores or with diarrhoea, is permitted to work in 
any food handling area. Any person so affected should immediately report to the management for 
appropriate action and should be excused from producti on area.  
f) Hands should always be washed before commencing work, immediately after using the toilet, after 
handling contaminated material and whenever else necessary.  
g) Every person in a food handling area should maintain a high degree of personal cleanliness while on 
duty, and should at all times wear suitable protective clothing including head covering and footwear, 
all of which articles should be cleanable unless designed to be disposed of after each use. Personnel 
should not wear jewelleries  when in food ha ndling area.  
h) Any behavior which could result in contamination of food, such as eating or use of tobacco should be 
prohibited in food handling areas.  
i) Responsibility for ensuring compliance by all personnel should be specifically allocated to competent 
super visory personnel.  
j) Finger nails shall be kept short and hands shall be cleaned and washed with soap ordetergent and 
water before work and after visiting sanitary facilities. Clean towels and handdrying facilities shall be 
provided for drying.  
k) The employees shall be provided with clean protective clothing. Separate changing rooms shall also 
be provided. No workers shall be allowed to work without proper protective gear.  
l) There shall be display and enforcement of notices. Eating, spitting, noise cleaning, use o f tobacco or 
alcohol in any form and chewing of any form shall be prohibited within the manufacturing area.  
m) Sufficient and suitable sanitary facilities including showers and changing rooms shall be provided, 
maintained clean and in good repair condition. T hese facilities shall be well lit and ventilated and 
equipped with self -closing doors. There shall also be hand washing facilities equipped with liquid soap 
within the toilet area and notices shall be posted requiring personnel to wash their hands after us ing 
toilets. These sanitary facilities shall be provided separately for male and female  
6.6 Process Control  
a) All process steps should be designed, implemented, monitored, measured, documented and reviewed 
for effectiveness of controls and compliance with critic al limits for contaminants  
b) A systematic and effective control system which identifies potential food safety hazards arising from 
value chain and their measures such as HACCP should be established.  
c) Incoming leaf should be sorted to remove foreign matter  
d) Measures should be established to ensure that spillages in the processing area are appropriately 
handled and that those intended for reuse are collected in clean and clearly marked containers and 
handled in a hygienic manner.  
e) Equipment and facilities used fo r process controls should be calibrated and maintained in good state 
of repair  
f) Measures should be established as appropriate, but not limited to control of pesticide residues, iron 
filings, foreign matter, moisture levels and microbiological contamination.  
g) Appropriate temperature time controls should be established to prevent spoilage and eliminate 
pathogens   
© EAC 2023  – All rights reserved  11 
 h) Monitoring should be undertaken to identify processing points and products that are out of 
specification; identify non -conforming products as appropria te for isolation, rework, release and /or 
disposal, and records of actions taken maintained.  
i) Sensory evaluation should be undertaken as appropriate during and after processing in accordance 
with ISO 3103 to ensure production of tea with acceptable organole ptic characteristics  
j) Cleaning and disinfection should be done in a manner that will safeguard the package integrity and 
product quality.  
6.7 Finished product control  
6.7.1  The finished product should be stored, packaged, dispatched and transported in a manner that 
maintains its wholesomeness and complies with relevant Regulations, Standards and customer contractual 
agreements; and should be traceable to the market.  
a) Contractual agreement for supplies should be honored by both parties  
b) A quality control system sho uld be established to verify compliance of finished products with 
specifications, and maintain records.  
c) Storage containers for finished tea should have designed to ease cleaning, constructed of food grade 
materials and managed in a manner that prevents add itional moisture pick up.  
d) Containers and packages should be designed in a manner that minimize damage, prevent 
contamination, and there should be no direct contact of the product with recycled materials.  
e) Where required, pallets for product packaging shou ld not compromise product safety and quality.  
f) A dispatch procedure and criteria should be established to ensure that only clean vehicles capable of 
preserving safety and quality of the product are used  
g) The producer/exporter should establish a documented system to ensure that every unit or batch of the 
products traceable  
h) A procedure should be established to ensure that tea samples are representative of the offered lot 
and that non -conforming products are disposed of appropriately.  
i) Consumer packages shoul d be designed for compliance with Specification for tea packets and 
container and labelled in accordance EAS 38, EAS 804  
6.7.2  The processing facility should have quality assurance programme to ensure that the final product 
conform to the relevant standar d. The amount and type of such control will vary with the different tea products 
as well as the needs of management. Such control should provide for monitoring of raw material to finished 
product.  
6.7.3  The final product should confor m with the requirement s provided in the relevant specific standards. 
For new product with non -existing standards international standards can be used.  
6.8 Reception and handling of green leaf  
a) Tea is said to be made in the field therefore it requires proper handling of the green leaf  before 
delivering to the processing factory.  
b) The harvested leaf shall be weighed upon arrival at tea factory using Weigh Bridge or weighing 
scales.   
12 © EAC  2023  – All righ ts reserved  
 c) Correct weight is important in order to determine the out turn ratio of made tea to green leaf and also 
to compare between field weight and factory weight.  
d) Green leaf is to be inspected and quality must be verified using leaf count method.  
e) Bruised and red leaf should be discarded  
6.9 Withering  
6.9.1  Green leaf delivered at Factory shall be spread evenly on the with ering troughs and  overloading of 
Green leaf should be avoided.  
6.9.2  Natural or artificial withers will be maintained  
6.9.3  Withering is the most critical process in black tea manufacture. The primary aims of  withering are to 
reduce the moisture content of  leaf and to soften it to withstand the rolling  process.  
6.9.4  There should be a proper supervision of temperature and humidity (hygrometers)  readings in order to 
obtain good even withers.  
6.9.5  The green leaf sifter should be applied to remove foreign mat ters from the withered leaf  (e.g. sand 
and metals)  
6.10 Rolling / CTC (crushing, tearing and curling)  
The rotor vane, rollers and CTC machines should be closely monitored according to the  manufacturing 
standards. The sharpening and changing or CTC rollers is im portant in order to  produce good quality teas.  
6.11 Oxidation  
a) The rolled and cut leaf will be spread on oxidation units by using fermenting trolleys or  continuous 
fermenting unit.  
b) The temperatures and humidity of the oxidation room shall be maintained in accord ance to  factory 
location or area.  
c) The proper oxidation time or period shall be monitored in order to produce a good quality cup  of tea.  
d) The teas should not be under or over oxidation.  
6.12 Drying or firing  
a) The fermented leaf is passed through the dryer to stop any further chemical reactions (to inactivate 
the fermenting enzymes) and only properly fermented leaf shall be sent to the dryer to arrest 
fermentation.  
b) Supervision of the inlet and exhaust temperatures is important in order to produce properly dried teas . 
c) When the stove is in use the stove pipes should be frequently checked for leakages to avoid smoke 
that will contaminated the made tea.  
d) There should be a regular check of moisture content of the dryer mouth teas and a sensory tea tasting 
should be made at  same time.  
e) The firing section is important in tea manufacture because the working hours of the tea factory are 
determined by dryer output.   
© EAC 2023  – All rights reserved  13 
 6.13 Sorting and grading  
a) This process involves the separation of tea particles into grades of the fired teas and its impo rtance 
cannot be overstated as it is here that the value of the final product is determined.  
b) Sorting involves the use of vibrating machines contesting of various sieving meshing of standard 
mesh.  
c) During sorting section it is expected to obtain standard gra des that are required by the tea market and 
there are standard grades for Orthodox black teas and CTC black teas.  
d) Recommended volumes of tea (free fall)  
i. BPI 245 – 370 
ii. PFI 280 – 310 
iii. PD 220 – 260 
iv. DI 160 – 280 
6.14 Storage of un -packed graded teas  
Normally graded teas are stored in bins which are air tight ready for packing in paper sacks or poly bags lined 
with plastic bag and the bins will keep the flavour and aroma of tea. Tea is hygroscopic and if left loose its 
quality will deteriorate.  
6.15 Packing and packaging m aterials  
The graded teas are weighed and packed in paper sacks lined with aluminium foil paper (two to three ply) and 
teas also weighed and packed in poly bags lined with nylon sheet according to market requirement  
7 Processing methods  
The following method s may be used. They include  but are not limited to:  
7.1 For black tea and green tea  
a) Orthodox  
b) CTC 
7.2 Specialty tea  
a) White tips  
b) Silver tips  
c) Matcha green tea  
8 Training  
8.1 Employees shall receive appropriate training on personal hygiene and s anitary practices. There  shall 
also be training on the importance of maintaining the use of protective gear during work and principles for the  
14 © EAC  2023  – All righ ts reserved  
 production of clean and safe black tea. There shall be record keeping of these training for inspection 
purposes.  
8.2 Managers shall arrange for adequate and continuing training of workers in hygienic handling and in 
personal hygiene so that they understand the precautions necessary to prevent contamination of food. 
Training should include relevant sections of this co de. 
9 Waste management/disposal  
9.1 The tea waste from the manufacturing facility shall be managed/ disposed in a manner that  is approved 
by the authorized environmental management authority.  
9.2 Facilities shall be provided for the storage of waste and in edible material prior to removal  from the 
establishment. These facilities should be designed to prevent access to waste or  inedible material by pests 
and to avoid contamination of food, potable water, equipment and  buildings or roadways on the premises.  
9.3 Waste material should be handled in such a way as to avoid contamination of food or potable  water. 
Care should be taken to prevent access to waste by pests. Waste should be removed  from the handling and 
other working areas as often as necessary and at le ast daily. Immediately  after disposal of waste, receptacles 
used for storage and any equipment which has come into  contact with the waste should be cleaned and 
disinfected. The waste storage area should also  be cleaned and disinfected.  
9.4 Facility shall h ave an efficient effluent and waste disposal system which should at all times  be 
maintained in good order and repair. All effluent lines (including sewer systems) should be  large enough to 
carry peak loads and should be so constructed as to avoid contamina tion of  potable water supplies.  
10 Pest control  
Effective measures should be taken to protect against the entrance into the premises and harbourage on the 
premises of insects, rodents, birds or other pests by using appropriate pest control programme  
11 Packaging  
11.1 Tea should be packaged for sale in food grade containers which will safeguard the hygienic and 
nutritional qualities of the product.  
11.2 Packaging material should be made of substances which are safe and suitable for their intended use.  
11.3 All packaging material should be stored in a clean and hygienic condition.  
11.4 Careless handling of containers should be avoided to prevent the possibility of contamination of Tea.  
11.5 In some cases, finished products can be packed in gas tight containers  under nitrogen or vacuum to 
maintain quality and retard possible mould growth  
11.6 Where required, pallets for product packaging should not compromise product safety and quality, and 
straps holding packages should be used in a manner that prevents damage to packages;  
12 Labelling  
12.1 The labelling of tea should be in accordance with the requirements provided in EAS 38 on labelling of 
pre-packaged foods and product specific standards.   
© EAC 2023  – All rights reserved  15 
 12.2 Information on tracking of the product should be documented at the factory and include among other 
things:  
a) Truck/trailer registration number;  
b) Date and time of dispatch.  
c) Name of manufacturing factory;  
d) Garden mark and grade;  
e) Product invoice numbers;  
f) Delivery note  
g) Goods received note  
13 Storage  
13.1 Tea should be store d in a cool and dry place away from contaminants  
13.2 Tea as well as packaging materials including cartons should be stacked on pallets to prevent 
contamination.  
14 Transport of end product  
Means of transport of containers should comply with the following conditions:  
14.1  Transporters  
a) Any mode of transport used shall be fit for the purpose and transfer of product from one 
truck/trailer/container during transit shall not compromise product safety and integrity.  
b) The prequalified transporters should have ade quate knowledge of the quality and safety issues of the 
tea product.  
c) Prequalified transporters must have systems in place to ensure that accidental damages to the 
product on transit are appropriately addressed.  
d) A dispatch procedure and criteria should be  established to ensure only clean vehicles capable of 
preserving safety and q uality of the product are used;  
e) Tea transportation containers should be dry, clean, and free from holes, odours, leak proof and 
designated only for tea transport at a time;  
f) Tea sh ould be transported in closed vessels to protect against dust and rain  
g) Finishes - All internal finishes should be made of corrosion -resistant material, be smooth, impervious, 
easy to clean and disinfect. Joints and doors should be sealed so as to prevent th e entry of pests and 
other sources of contamination.  
h) Tea should be kept in such a manner that the tea does not come into contact with the floor.  
i) Tea should be placed in a clean means of transport. If necessary, it should be cleaned and disinfected 
before l oading.   
16 © EAC  2023  – All righ ts reserved  
 j) Transport personnel and drivers should be sensitized and aware of food safety requirements, and 
appropriate vehicle and security conditions for transporting finished products;  
k) Vehicles and containerized transport shall be locked with a security sea l to be opened only by 
authorized personnel at the designated point of offloading and the seal identification number shall be 
traced to the warehouse;  
l) The producer/exporter should establish a documented system to ensure every unit or batch of the 
products is traceable;  
m) A procedure should be established to ensure tea samples are representative of the offered lot and 
that non -conforming products are handled appropriately.  
14.2  Shipping  
Tea shall be shipped in accordance with the relevant rules and regulatio ns. Shipment records showing the 
consigner, consignee, quantity, type or grade, and the port of destination shall be maintained.  
15 Labor and worker’s welfare  
All stakeholders within the Tea value chain should comply with relevant Partner States legislati ons on labor 
and employment   
16 Environmental management  
a) Sustainable environmental management should be maintained to conserve energy, soils, water 
resources, wild life and forests in accordance with the relevant Partner States legislations on 
environmen t 
b) Emissions from factories should be managed in a manner that minimizes environmental degradation.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
© EAC 2023  – All rights reserved  17 
 Bibliography  
[1] ISO 11287: 2011,  Green tea — Definition and basic requirements