South Africa's rooibos industry needs a standard protocol for residue testing and compliance, producers and processors said at the Rooibos Tea Producers Association (RTPA) annual general meeting near Clanwilliam, as ever-stricter food-safety standards make even trace detections costly.

Each residue test costs about R5,000, and several rounds may be needed to trace a residue's source. Unresolved detections can delay shipments, unsettle buyers and put premium export markets at risk. "It has a significant impact on our industry finances," said RTPA chairperson Werner Nieuwoudt. "I think we need a standard protocol."

Dr Karen Conradie, laboratory manager at NviroTek Laboratories, urged producers not to blame laboratories: modern equipment detects extremely small traces, and ISO-accredited labs follow the same procedures. "The challenge is more to get the right sample – and an authentic one – to the lab," she said, adding that a detection does not automatically mean a failure, since destinations and customers apply different tolerances.

Drift is a growing concern. "This year, many organic farms had residues on their rooibos, but those residues didn't come from those farms," Nieuwoudt said, calling for a protocol to minimise drift risk before harvest. Michelle Brown, quality assurance manager at Cape Natural Tea Products, said contamination is not only from spraying: investigations have traced it to workers' mosquito repellent, hand sanitiser and even marker pens used on packs.

Johan Brand, technical manager at Rooibos Beperk, said his company exports 95 per cent of its rooibos to markets with the strictest maximum residue limits, and that requirements keep evolving. Panellists pointed to EU rules as a useful benchmark. "Every year, there's something new on the list of prohibited substances," Brown said.

The panel was moderated by RTPA board member and rooibos farmer Schalk-Willem Laing, who stressed that residue management involves the whole value chain.

The report was written by Clayton Swart.

Source: Farmers Weekly South Africa