The Sri Lanka Tea Board and the Sri Lanka Standards Institute (SLSI), are to roll out an internationally accepted product certification scheme for the Sri Lankan tea sector.
Cabinet approval has already been given for the ‘Tea Board-SLSI Tea Product Certification Scheme,’ which would include HACCP certifications needed for tea exports into the EU and also ISO certifications.
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The international standard certifications will come at a lower cost when obtained locally, instead of going through foreign institutions. Tea factories, warehouses and tea packers can apply for certifications under the Tea Product Certification Scheme.
“We hope to finalise the certification scheme and make it available to the tea sector in about two months,” the Chairman of the Tea Board, Lalith Hettiarachchi told the Sunday FT.
The SLSI will get accreditation from certification issuing institutions abroad, to issue internationally accepted certifications.
“The SLSI is already an internationally recognised certification body. They issue ISO certifications for the tea sector. For this scheme, SLSI will get the accreditation to issue other international certifications. We can then issue internationally recognised certifications like HACCP, in addition to ISO certifications,” said Mr Hettiarachchi.
The HACCP certification is now mandatory for tea exports into the EU. At this point about 60 local tea factories have got the HACCP certification from foreign parties, at a subsidised cost, through the Asian Development Bank funded Plantation Development Project.
However, the Plantation Development Project is now over and companies will have to spend large amounts of money to get the certification from foreign certifying parties, as the subsidy is no longer available. Renewal and upgrading the HACCP certification will also be costly. These costs can be significantly reduced through local certification.
“Applying for the certification is voluntary. But certification like HACCP and ISO are anyway required to export tea. The EU and Japan for instance, have very stringent standards. Other countries will also eventually apply more stringent food safety standards. So instead of applying abroad for the certifications they can get it from us. It will be a lower cost for the tea factories,” said Mr Hettiarachchi.
Companies applying for certifications will be evaluated according to internationally accepted standards of adequacy audits and on-site assessments. If the company passes the tests, it will be awarded the certification, which is valid for three years.
The Tea Board says the certifications can be used as a marketing tool even to export to countries that do not, as yet, make these standards mandatory. The Tea Board and the SLSI will be publishing a list of certified companies.
This would allow these companies to inform current and potential customers that they are compliant with international food safety standards. Compliance with these standards, says the Tea Board, will give an added advantage for Sri Lankan tea companies. |
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