More than 700 kilograms of fake green tea was seized in southeast China's Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces. The chemically dyed Biluochun tea contained toxic heavy metals, according to a China Central Television's (CCTV) report on Sunday.

The tea was found to contain more than 60 times the allowed amount of lead.

National standards provide that 1,000 grams of tea should contain no more than 2 micrograms of lead.

Excess levels of lead and other heavy metals can cause liver and kidney damage.

According to CCTV, the tea was made in Guizhou Province from low-quality tea leaves. Producers used a green chemical dye to make the tea look fresh.

Producing a kilogram of the counterfeit tea only costs 75 yuan (US$9). The authentic tea sells for 500 yuan (US$ 60.4) a kilogram on average.

"Most customers can't differentiate the fake tea from the authentic leaves," said Xu Yongcheng, a tea expert, who pointed out that authentic Biluochun tea has tiny white hairs on the leaves, while the fake tea has green hairs due to the dye. Customers can also immerse some tea leaves in cold water to see if the green color runs.

According to Liu Qigui, secretary-general of Shanghai Tea Association, many factors contribute to high lead levels. For example, contaminated soil, exposure to pollution from vehicle emission, fertilizers with high lead contents, or lead containers used in processing and transportation.
 
However, Liu stressed that each of these factors do not result in excessive levels of lead contamination.

Liu added that because heavy metals like lead cannot dissolve in water, trace amounts are generally not life threatening.

Industrial insiders have also released information that a chemically dyed Kuding tea, another tea that is distinguishable by color, recently made an appearance on the market.

(Shanghai Daily, China.org.cn June 8, 2005)