Belarus bans Greenfield tea over mold concerns
In spring 2024, Belarusian authorities banned the import of the company's products after finding elevated levels of mold in certain samples of 'Gita' and 'Princess Candy' tea.
Consensus
- Belarus banned the import and sale of the Greenfield Buckwheat & Cocoa Beans tea product.
- The ban was based on findings of mold and coliform bacteria exceeding safety limits.
- The product is manufactured by the Russian company 'Orimi'.
- The ban took effect on October 10.
- The product is packaged in tea bags.
- The ban applies only to this specific product, not other Greenfield items.
Points of divergence
- The mold level was 7,000 colony-forming units (CFU) per gram, exceeding the limit of 100 CFU/g by 70 times. — fontanka
- The product also contained unacceptable levels of coliform bacteria (E. coli group) in one gram. — vesti
- The manufacturer disputes the findings, citing storage conditions and the natural presence of microorganisms in plant material. — fontanka
- The ban was issued by the Belarusian State Standard Committee. — vesti
- The product may appear visually normal despite high mold counts, as CFUs are not visible to the naked eye. — fontanka
Coverage (4 sources)
- Controversial tea. Belarusians again banned themselves from Greenfield — we explain what it's about — Фонтанка
- In Belarus, tea Greenfield from Leningrad region banned — Фонтанка
- Belarus banned import and sale of one of Russia's Greenfield teas — Коммерсантъ
- In Belarus, sale of one of the Greenfield teas has been banned — Вести