Constraints and Compliances of Traceability in Low Grown Orthodox Black Tea Manufacturing Process

Abstract

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Traceability practices and their compliances in low grown orthodox black tea manufacturing process were examined, while proposing possible solutions for identified major drawbacks. The physical traceability in supply chain was considered one step forward and one step backward from the point of manufacturing, starting from auction/buyer back to supplier. Randomized stratified sampling was used. The traceability was evaluated using a checklist, end product sampling, open ended interviews, observations and internal document studies. The orthodox process was more complicated unlike other production processes due to the different separation techniques employed for grading and variety of grades produced because the sifting/grading was the key to number of different tea varieties. Major traceability issues were observed in leaf collection and grading operations due to complexity of separation through Myddleton, Chota, Michie and Winnower, which reduced the specific amounts produced, where bulking and blending process further extended complexity, while increasing the mixing of different made tea together with increased number of suppliers. Considering 1st, 2nd, 3rd dhool and big bulk with given separation techniques during grading; a single tea leaf could pass many paths before it end up in a specific product due to weight, size and shape of the leaf of a shoot based on the way it was rolled in orthodox rollers, where traceability up to tea bush, grading, blending and traceability of sample back to supplier was not fully complying. Nevertheless, supplier records, traceability after packing, traceability at dispatch and after dispatch were in full compliance, and other factors had varying degree of traceability compliances which make the compliances unachievable. Alternatively, if made tea is considered as bulk material, use of emerging technologies like Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags or/and DNA barcoding may be potential tools in rectifying such drawbacks and fiirther research is needed to assess their efficacy in the field