Special Tea Inspection

Description

This section is from the book "Beverages And Their Adulteration Origin, Composition, Manufacture, Natural, Artificial, Fermented, Distilled, Alkaloidal And Fruit Juices", by Harvey W. Wiley. Also available from Amazon: Beverages And Their Adulteration.

Special Tea Inspection

Laws regulating the importation of adulterated teas are the oldest restrictions of that kind in the legislation of this country. Several years before the civil war, laws on this subject were enacted. These laws were amended and extended by the Act of March 2, 1883. In 1897 the Act of 1883 was repealed and the law which is at present in force was approved March 2d of that year. This Act set up an entirely new and more rigid inspection of imports. It provided for a Tea Board to be appointed annually by the Secretary of the Treasury and to consist of 7 members. This Board was empowered to establish standards of the leading types of teas and prepare these standards of actual teas by which all imports had to be tested. The standards now in vogue are those established in 1918 and are as follows:1

1. Formosa Oolong.

2. Foochow Oolong.

3. Congou.

4. India (used for Ceylon).

5. Gunpowder, green.

6. Young Hyson, green.

7. Japan, pan fired.

8. Japan, basket fired.

9. Japan, dust.

10. Scented Orange Pekoe (used for capers).

11. Scented Canton.

12. Canton Oolong.