QS certification drives the nerves of the tea industry

QS certification drives the nerves of the tea industry

Starting from January 1st, 13 types of goods including tea and wine must be produced with certificates and affixed with QS food safety certification marks. At this point, QS certification has covered all food categories, totaling 28 categories. Foods that have not obtained QS certification are not allowed to be sold on the market. Industry insiders say that due to the unique nature of the tea industry, the new QS regulations for tea production may lead to a major reshuffle in the industry for regions and manufacturers.

Garbage tea is expected to be completely delisted

It is reported that the food quality and safety market access system for tea products has been implemented since January 1, 2005, with a two-year buffer period during which enterprises can obtain certification. The reporter learned from the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine that since 2005, quality inspection departments in various regions have started QS approval for local production enterprises. The certification work ended on December 31, 2006, and those who do not meet the national standards cannot obtain the qualification to enter the market. Since January 1, 2007, quality inspection departments in various regions have increased their efforts to investigate and punish non certified enterprises.

The relevant person in charge of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine stated that tea leaves without QS labeling are not necessarily harmful. The thorough implementation of QS certification for tea leaves and effective regulation of the market will take some time. However, tea that has passed QS is definitely more guaranteed, which is also a direction for the development of the tea industry.

The reporter visited several large supermarkets and tea specialty stores in Beijing and found that the vast majority of tea packaging is labeled with QS labels. "Our purchase is strictly approved, and the tea sold on the counter is famous brand products," a staff member of Carrefour Supermarket in Fangzhuang told reporters, "Tea without QS logo cannot be sold on the market. ”

At the Maliandao Tea Market in Beijing, the reporter saw a lot of promotional materials about the new QS logo regulations for tea. The reporter noticed that some QS logos are printed on the packaging, while others are affixed to the packaging. A vendor told reporters that some manufacturers have just applied for QS certification, so they didn't have it on their previous packaging boxes and had to stick it on first. When the new packaging arrives, these stickers won't be needed anymore. He also stated that it is allowed to post like this now.

Implementing QS certification can standardize tea grading and packaging labeling, eliminate the mixing of new and old tea, and prevent illegal operations such as low-grade tea impersonating high-grade tea. Citizens can easily identify the quality of tea based on packaging. ”The staff of Beijing Municipal Bureau of Quality Supervision stated. A consumer also believes that if market access to these "junk teas" is eliminated from the source, the problem of "junk tea" in small restaurants will also be solved.

Small and medium-sized tea enterprises face difficulties in obtaining QS certification

Many major tea merchants have welcomed the new QS regulations. The person in charge of Zhejiang Tea Import and Export Co., Ltd. believes that this system will definitely be of great help to the healthy development of the entire industry. The person in charge admitted, 'Our company's tea has already passed QS certification, and we will take advantage of this opportunity to expand our market.'. ”

Compared to the early actions of many large-scale enterprises, some smaller enterprises are at a loss when it comes to implementing QS certification, as QS certification has high requirements for production, processing, and other aspects. These enterprises still have a certain distance to go to meet the relevant standards.

The relevant person in charge of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine stated that as of now, most of the companies that have passed QS certification are large enterprises, and many small enterprises, workshops, and farmers have chosen to remain silent. Taking Zhejiang, a major tea producing province, as an example, there are currently over 7000 tea production enterprises, but only a hundred have obtained QS certification.

Experts predict that the new QS regulations for tea may lead to a major reshuffle in the tea industry. The relevant person in charge of the Hubei Provincial Quality Supervision Bureau also stated that according to regulations, enterprises that have not passed QS certification will not be able to produce or operate tea, which means that most tea industry enterprises in Hubei will be closed.

The reporter learned that the entry threshold for tea is relatively low. Except for a few small-scale tea factories, most of them are produced and sold by farmers and individual investors themselves. These small enterprises have not yet departed from the production mode of rural small workshops, and there is a significant gap between their own strength and technological capabilities and the market access requirements of the country.

At the same time, most tea shops in China sell raw tea directly through simple processing after purchasing it, without their own processing facilities. The business license scope of these tea shops is limited to sales and must be changed before applying for QS certification. Industry analysis suggests that it is unrealistic to shut down all tea shops at once as so many have not obtained QS certificates. With the mentality of 'the law does not punish the public', many small and medium-sized tea shops have thus reached the QS deadline.

In addition, according to QS certification requirements, the warehouse area of tea operators must meet the required regulations. Finished and semi-finished products must be stored and managed in separate areas, and there are specific requirements for tea packaging. For many tea merchants, it is still difficult to achieve this, which may lead to a large number of farmers and individual investors being unable to continue operating and closing down.

Tea companies should not adopt a one size fits all approach

A senior figure in the tea industry believes that implementing QS certification for tea products is a qualification upgrade for China's tea industry, and for tea operators, it is a new market entry threshold.

It is reported that from January 1st, the country will officially enter the QS investigation period, and many small-scale tea shops in China will face three choices: one is to withdraw; The second is to switch to operating pure bulk tea; The third is to choose a branded tea enterprise to "affiliate" with. It can be said that the third road will be the best choice for most small tea shops. However, it is worth noting that this choice will also mean increased costs and reduced profits for small tea shops.

Some experts have also expressed their doubts about the new regulations for QS certification of tea. For example, special types of Pu'er tea have special production processes and lengthy fermentation processes. According to relevant regulations, the tea leaves need to be labeled with the production date and expiration date. However, how to label the expiration date of Pu'er tea?

Industry insiders say that despite a two-year buffer period, the current implementation of tea QS certification is still too hasty. Compared with other industries such as candy, the tea industry has its own uniqueness, with more manual and small workshop operations. But according to regulations, both production enterprises and packaging enterprises must obtain QS certification, which involves multiple links. Nowadays, there are thousands of tea shops in various places, and bulk tea is also collected from thousands of households. It is impossible and unrealistic for every household to pass QS certification.

Tea is different from ordinary daily food, and cannot be treated like ordinary daily food. "Some industry insiders have stated that if a one size fits all approach is implemented, it will undoubtedly be a major blow to the tea industry. Therefore, how to make tea farmers comply with the requirements of QS certification is a new topic and challenge. He hopes to give small businesses and workshops more time to relax, so that they have sufficient time to self regulate.