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Tea and herbal infusion testing

Testing for tea (black, green, white) and herbal infusions: pesticide residues, contaminants, quality parameters and microbiology.

41 RENAR-accredited testsAnnex no. 1 of 24.04.2026See the table

Tea and herbal infusions are dried products consumed after extraction in hot water, and much of the raw material is imported. Beyond sensory quality, producers, packers and importers need to show that the product meets the legal limits for residues and contaminants. ICA R&D tests black, green and white tea as well as herbal, fruit and flower teas and blends, loose or in bags.

What we test

Quality is checked through sensory examination of the dry product and of the infusion, moisture, total ash and hydrochloric acid-insoluble ash (an indicator of mineral impurities such as sand or soil), foreign matter and impurities. For tea we can also determine caffeine.

Pesticide residues are one of the most common reasons for testing, particularly for imported products. We complete the picture with metals, mycotoxins and microbiological testing, which is especially useful for the dried herbs and fruit used in blends. The exact list of tests available for each type of tea is agreed with you.

Regulatory framework

  • Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 – general principles of food law
  • Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 – maximum residue levels of pesticides
  • Regulation (EU) 2023/915 – maximum levels for contaminants
  • Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 – food information to consumers

How we work

Samples should be sent in their original packaging or in closed bags, protected from moisture and foreign odours. We can help you choose the tests that suit the product and the purpose (intake, internal control, import checks). Results are issued in a test report; accredited tests are marked as such in the report and are listed in the annex to RENAR accreditation certificate LI 871.

Parameters and determinations

Sensory examination and quality

  • Appearance authorised, not accredited
  • Colour authorised, not accredited
  • Odour and taste (including the infusion) authorised, not accredited
  • Foreign matter authorised, not accredited
  • Impurities authorised, not accredited

Physico-chemical parameters

Contaminants

Microbiology

"RENAR accredited" links to the matching row of the accredited-tests table below (RENAR annex no. 1/24.04.2026); "authorised, not accredited" means authorised by ANSVSA (authorisation no. 95/24.09.2025) but outside the accreditation; "subcontracted" means performed by a partner laboratory. An analysis with two labels is accredited only for the matrices and methods in the table. "Not accredited" (non-food products, which need no authorisation) means performed in the ICA laboratory or by a partner laboratory, outside the accreditation.

This list is not exhaustive and not all determinations are accredited. For anything not listed here, please contact our sales team.

Request a quote

Tell us the product and the tests you need; our sales team will reply with a quote.

Request a quote

[email protected]

+40 31 410 2020

Samples received after 13:00 are registered and start testing on the next working day.

RENAR-accredited tests

Source: Annex no. 1 to RENAR accreditation certificate LI 871, issued 24/04/2026. Annex (PDF)

RENAR-accredited tests – Tea and herbal infusion testing. Source: Annex no. 1 to RENAR accreditation certificate LI 871, issued 24/04/2026.
TestMatrixReference documentAnnex no.
Determination of trace elements: zinc, copper, iron, manganese (FAAS) Foodstuffs (except oils, fats and very fatty products) SR EN 14084:2003; STAS 1807/1-83; SR EN 13804:2013; SR EN 13805:2015; PS-CH-01 1
Determination of tin (FAAS) Foodstuffs SR EN 13804:2013; SR EN 13805:2015; SR EN 15764:2010; PS-CH-62 1
Determination of calcium, sodium, potassium and magnesium (FAAS) Foodstuffs SR EN 15505:2008; SR ISO 8070:2008; SR EN ISO 7980:2002; ISO 9964-1:1993; ISO 9964-2:1993; SR EN 13804:2013; SR EN 13805:2015; SR 6182-30:2009; SR 6182-33:1993; SR 6182-32:1993; PS-CH-40 1
Determination of trace elements: lead, cadmium (GFAAS) Foodstuffs (except oils, fats and very fatty products) SR EN 14083:2003; SR EN 14084:2003; STAS 1807/1-83; SR EN 13804:2013; SR EN 13805:2015; PS-CH-01 2
Determination of chromium (GFAAS) Foodstuffs SR EN 14083:2003; SR EN 13804:2013; SR EN 13805:2015; PS-CH-62 2
Determination of trace elements: arsenic (HGAAS) Foodstuffs (except oils, fats and very fatty products) STAS 1807/1-83; SR EN 13804:2013; SR EN 13805:2015; SR EN 14627:2005; PS-CH-01, Ediție 10.07.2025 3
Determination of trace elements: mercury (CVAAS) Foodstuffs (except oils, fats and very fatty products) STAS 1807/1-83; SR EN 13804:2013; SR EN 13805:2015; SR EN 13806-1:2025; PS-CH-01 4
Determination of fatty acid content by gas chromatography Foodstuffs SR EN ISO 12966-2:2017; SR EN ISO 661:2006; SR EN ISO 661:2006/AC:2007; SR EN ISO 12966-4:2015; SR ISO 15885:2008; ISO 14156:2025; PS-CH-30 Ediţia din 10.01.2026 16
Pesticide residues by GC (QuEChERS) Foods of non-animal origin (plant products with high water content; plant products with high acid and high water content; plant products with high sugar and low water content; plant products with high oil and low water content; plant products with high starch and protein and low water and fat content, dried products) ISO 14181:2000; ISO 3890-1:2009 (IDF 75-1:2009); ISO 3890-2:2009 (IDF 75-2:2009); PS-CH-121 Ediția din 10.02.2026 17
Pesticide residues by LC (QuEChERS) Foods of non-animal origin (plant products with high water content; plant products with high acid and high water content; plant products with high sugar and low water content; plant products with high oil and low water content; plant products with high starch and protein and low water and fat content, dried products) ISO 3890-1:2009 (IDF 75-1:2009); ISO 3890-2:2009 (IDF 75-2:2009); PS-CH-122 Ediția din 10.02.2026 20
Determination of acesulfame K, aspartame and saccharin by HPLC-DAD Foodstuffs of non-animal origin SR EN 12856:2001; PS-CH-105 Ediția din 10.01.2022 21
Determination of cyclamate by HPLC-DAD Foodstuffs of non-animal origin SR EN 12857:2001; PS-CH-109 Ediția din 10.01.2022 22
Determination of sugars by LC-IR (xylose, fructose, glucose, galactose, sucrose, turanose, maltose, trehalose, lactose, melezitose, maltotriose, raffinose) Foodstuffs and food supplements PS-CH-128, Ediţia din 10.05.2025 23
Determination of acrylamide by LC-MS after acetonitrile extraction/partitioning and dispersive SPE clean-up (modular QuEChERS method) Heat-treated foodstuffs PS-CH-132, Ediţia din 10.02.2023 24
Determination of ochratoxin A by ELISA Agricultural raw materials; foodstuffs derived from them Metoda ELISA – Neogen Veratox 8610; Metoda ELISA RIDASCREEN, cod: R-1312; PS-CH-32 Ediţia din 25.03.2022 26
Determination of pH Coffee, tea, spices, soy, starch PS-CH-27, Ediție 10.07.2025 29
Determination of protein content by the Dumas method Foodstuffs PS-CH-126, Ediţia din 10.02.2023 33
Determination of peroxide value Foodstuffs; animal and vegetable fats and oils SR 13531:2008; PS-CH-100 Ediţia din 10.01.2022 40
Determination of total ash and hydrochloric acid-insoluble ash Tea SR ISO 763:2008; SR 91:2007, cap.16; SR 90:2007, cap. 21; SR ISO 928:2009; ISO 930:1997; SR ISO 936:2009; SR 2213-6:2009; SR EN ISO 2171:2023; SR ISO 1577:1999; SR ISO 1575:1999; SR ISO 7514:1999; STAS 756/3-85, cap.10; PS-CH-28 Ediţia din 10.07.2025 44
Determination of moisture and ash (thermogravimetry) Foodstuffs, except oils and sugar PS-CH-125, Ediţia din 10.11.2023 46
Determination of lipid content by microwave-assisted extraction Foodstuffs PS-CH-127, Ediţia din 10.02.2023 48
Determination of total, insoluble and soluble dietary fibre Foodstuffs; cereals Metoda AOAC 991.42; Metoda AOAC 985.29; PS-CH-58 52
Mass determinations (net weight, drained weight, mass proportions of components, mass grading) Foodstuffs and feed SR 2213-3:2009; STAS 6516-90; STAS 5951-83; Metoda AOAC 968.30; PS-CH-11 Ediţia din 10.01.2022 53
Determination of volume in the package Liquid foodstuffs PS-CH-10, Ediţia din 10.02.2023 61
Determination of density Foodstuffs PS-CH-07, Ediţia din 10.02.2023 62
Qualitative determination of genetically modified DNA using the SureFood GMO SCREEN 35S/NOS/FMV + IAC kit Foodstuffs Manual kit SureFood GMO SCREEN 35S/NOS/FMV + IAC (R-Biopharm, cod: S2126): Version : December 2016, CONGEN Biotechnologie GmbH, BERLIN, Germany.; PS-MB-117 Ediţia din 20.02.2023 63
Enumeration of microorganisms, colony count at 30 °C Foodstuffs SR EN ISO 4833-1:2014; SR EN ISO 4833-1:2014/A1:2022; SR EN ISO 4833-2:2014; SR EN ISO 4833-2:2014/A1:2022; SR EN ISO 4833-2:2014/AC:2014; PS-MB-01 64
Enumeration of coliforms Foodstuffs SR ISO 4832:2009; PS-MB-02 65
Enumeration of β-glucuronidase-positive Escherichia coli – colony count at 44 °C Foodstuffs SR ISO 16649-2:2007; PS-MB-03 66
Detection of Salmonella Foodstuffs SR EN ISO 6579-1:2017; SR EN ISO 6579-1:2017/A1:2020; PS-MB-04 67
Enumeration of coagulase-positive staphylococci Foodstuffs SR EN ISO 6888-1:2021; SR EN ISO 6888-1:2021/ A1:2023; PS-MB-05 68
Enumeration of presumptive Bacillus cereus – colony count at 30 °C Foodstuffs SR EN ISO 7932:2005; SR EN ISO 7932:2005/ A1:2020; PS-MB-06 69
Enumeration of yeasts and moulds Foodstuffs SR ISO 21527-1:2009; SR ISO 21527-2:2009; PS-MB-07 70
Enumeration of Enterobacteriaceae Foodstuffs PS-MB-21 Ediţia din 10.07.2025 72
Detection of Listeria monocytogenes Foodstuffs SR EN ISO 11290-1:2017; PS-MB-22 73
Enumeration of Listeria monocytogenes Foodstuffs SR EN ISO 11290-2:2017; PS-MB-34 74
Enumeration of mesophilic lactic acid bacteria – colony count at 30 °C Foodstuffs SR ISO 15214:2001; PS-MB-33 75
Enumeration of sulphite-reducing bacteria growing under anaerobic conditions Foodstuffs SR ISO 15213-1:2023; PS-MB-24 76
Detection and enumeration of Campylobacter spp. – colony-count technique Foodstuffs SR EN ISO 10272-2:2017; SR EN ISO 10272-2:2017/A1:2023; PS-MB-32 Ediţia din 10.07.2025 82
Detection of Salmonella spp. by VIDAS UP (SPT) – ELFA Foodstuffs Metoda Biomerieux – VIDAS UP Salmonella (SPT); PS-MB-37 Ediţia din 10.07.2025 83
Calculation of total carbohydrate, available carbohydrate and energy value of food products Foodstuffs Regulamentul (UE) nr. 1169/2011, anexa XIV. FAO Food and Nutrition Paper- Food energy –Methods of analysis and conversion factors; PS-CH-63 Ediţia din 10.01.2024 84

Accreditation covers only the test – matrix – method combinations in the table. The accreditation status of each result is stated on the test report.

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