According to Tea Packeters' Association of India (TPAI), consumers are being forced to shift from branded packaged teas to loose tea consumption. TPAI, the apex body of the Indian manufacturers of packaged tea, in its continuous effort has once again petitioned the union finance ministry to withdraw the eight per cent excise duty on branded packaged teas in the union budget. Since tea is an item of mass consumption across all socio-economic classes, the excise duty has affected consumers across all income strata, says TPAI. The imposition of excise duty has shown a negative impact on the mass consumption of packaged tea and the reversal of the duty will definetely help ease the burden of the inflation that the common man is already reelingunder.

In recent times, various consumer activist groups have highlighted their concern for a possibility of adulteration of loose tea. The Consumer Guidance Society of India (CGSI) situated out of Mumbai has conducted an analysis of 25 loose tea samples, out of which 80 per cent of the samples were found to be adulterated and did not fulfil the statutory provisions laid down by the Prevention of Food and Adulteration (PFA) Act.