THIE - Tea & Herbal Infusions Europe

Objectives of association

THIE is the European association of the national associations for tea as well as herbal and fruit tea. THIE`s aim is to develop a common European policy for the traders and distributors of tea and herbal and fruit teas and to represent this policy towards the official bodies of the European Union and other organisations dealing with product-related issues. In addition, close contact between the members is ensured and they are always informed about all relevant technical matters and current developments with regard to European legislation.

Industry

Consumption habits in Europe are very different: while more tea (Camellia sinensis) tends to be drunk in the north, herbal and fruit teas are particularly popular in the south. The French, for example, appreciate verbena, the Italians love camomile. The raw materials for the products come from all over the world. Tea (Camellia sinensis) is not grown commercially in the EU. It comes mainly from the classic tea-growing countries China, India, Sri Lanka and Kenya. In contrast, some of the tea herbs, such as camomile, peppermint or lemon verbena, come from
European cultivation. However, other ingredients, such as red bush from South Africa or mate from South America, on the other hand, must also be imported in their entirety. The variety of teas on the market is constantly increasing.

Key activities

THIE’s main activities focus on the areas of:

Quality assurance
Legislation, especially food law
Cooperation with tea growing countries
Nutrition
Public relations.

15

members (10 associations from EU member states, Switzerland and Great Britain and 4 companies from 3 EU member states, 1 association as a sponsor from a EU state)

President

Dr. Sharon Hall, UK Tea & Infusions Association, United Kingdom