What are the requirements for Pu'er tea processing? These points are key
Pu'er tea refers to loose tea and compressed tea made from large-leaf sun-dried green tea (mao cha) produced within Yunnan Province as raw material, processed through traditional techniques or post-fermentation. Farmer processing refers to tea farmers picking or purchasing fresh leaves themselves, fixing them in iron woks or crucibles, rolling the leaves into strips, and sun-drying them to make sun-dried green tea (mao cha), which is then further processed.
1. Raw material requirements
1. Raw material procurement. The raw material purchased for Pu'er tea must be large-leaf sun-dried green tea (mao cha) that complies with GB9676 "Hygienic Standard for Tea". 2. Raw material transportation. The packaging containers and transport vehicles for holding raw materials shall meet hygiene requirements, and must not be transported together with toxic or harmful substances. Fresh leaves shall be held in clean, well-ventilated bamboo-woven or mesh tea baskets or crates; bags previously used for feed, chemical fertilizer, or pesticides must not be used to hold fresh leaves. The picked tea leaves shall be transported to the tea factory promptly to prevent deterioration of the fresh leaves and contamination by toxic or harmful substances. 3. Raw material storage. The raw material warehouse must be ventilated, dry, and clean, with a level floor, good drainage, and rodent-proof facilities; it shall have dedicated personnel for management, and a management system shall be established.
2. Processing site requirements
1. The Pu'er tea processing site should be chosen in an environment with dry terrain, convenient transportation, and sufficient water sources, with electricity supply. 2. There must be no smoke, dust, radioactive substances, harmful gases, or other diffusible pollution sources around the factory area. There must be no potential sites for mass breeding of insects. 3. The roads in the factory area should be paved with hard surfaces to prevent water accumulation and dust.
3. Processing facility requirements
1. The factory area should be reasonably laid out, and the processing area should be isolated from the living area and office area. 2. The layout of buildings, equipment, and process flow should be reasonably connected as a whole; the factory buildings should be spacious and clean, compatible with the production scale, and able to meet the requirements of the production process and quality hygiene. 3. The factory shall comply with the relevant provisions of the "Environmental Protection Law of the People's Republic of China", the "Design Standards for Industrial Enterprises", the "Food Hygiene Law of the People's Republic of China", the "Fire Protection Law", etc. 4. The water supply system should be able to meet production needs, and production water must comply with the provisions of GB5749 "Standards for Drinking Water Quality". 5. The height of boiler chimneys and the amount of dust emitted shall comply with the provisions of GB3841 "Emission Standard of Smoke and Dust for Boilers". 6. The mechanical equipment used for processing shall comply with the quality standards stipulated by the state. 7. Equipment installation shall meet process requirements, with a reasonable layout and compact connection between upstream and downstream processes. Parts of processing equipment that directly contact tea leaves must not be made of lead and lead-antimony alloys, lead bronze, manganese brass, lead brass, cast aluminum, or aluminum alloy materials. 8. The processing factory shall be equipped with corresponding facilities for changing clothes, washing, lighting, fly prevention, rodent prevention, cockroach prevention, sewage discharge, and storage of garbage and waste. Washing facilities shall be set up at the entrance of the workshop and at appropriate locations within the workshop. 9. Utensils and tools made of natural materials such as stone, bamboo, rattan, and odorless wood, as well as stainless steel and food-grade plastic, are allowed; all utensils and tools shall be cleaned before use. 10. Production machinery, equipment, tools, containers, workbenches, floors, etc. shall be maintained and cleaned before and after processing, and must not contaminate the tea leaves.
4. Hygiene requirements for processing workshops
1. The internal and external environment of the processing workshop should be kept clean and tidy. 2. Machinery, equipment, installations, and water supply and drainage systems should ensure normal operation and be kept tidy and clean. 3. The factory area should carry out pest and rodent control regularly or when necessary, and effective measures should be taken to prevent the gathering and breeding of rodents, mosquitoes, flies, insects, etc. 4. There should be sufficient warehouses or sites for raw materials, auxiliary materials, finished products, and semi-finished products. Raw materials, semi-finished products, and finished products shall be placed separately and must not be mixed. Production materials and miscellaneous items should not be piled up in the processing workshop. 5. For processing, packaging, factory buildings, and sites, the ground should be hard, level, and smooth, and the walls should be free of dirt. The processing and packaging sites should be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected at least once before the tea season.
5. Requirements for processing personnel
1. Processing personnel shall receive training before taking up their posts, with training records kept, and shall master processing techniques and operational skills. 2. Processing personnel shall undergo health examinations before taking up their posts and every year thereafter, and may only take up their posts after obtaining a health certificate. 3. Processing personnel shall maintain personal hygiene; when entering the workplace, they shall wash their hands, change clothes, change shoes, and wear hats. When leaving the workshop, they shall change out of work clothes, hats, and shoes and store them in the changing room. Smoking and spitting anywhere are strictly prohibited in processing and packaging areas, and eating meals and snacks is strictly prohibited in processing and packaging areas. 4. Workers in packaging and refining workshops need to wear masks and hats when on duty. 5. Processing personnel must not wear jewelry or watches, and must not wear makeup. 6. After contacting dirty objects, using the toilet, smoking, or eating, they must wash their hands clean before entering the processing workshop to work.
6. Farmer processing requirements
1. Tea farmers processing tea should have a dedicated site; the processing site should be paved with concrete material that is impervious to water and non-absorbent, and the walls should be clean and free of dirt. 2. During processing, no other miscellaneous items should be stored at the processing site. Processing equipment, utensils, and tools should be placed neatly and kept clean. Before the tea season begins, the processing site should be comprehensively and thoroughly cleaned, and the holding utensils, processing equipment, and processing tools should be cleaned. During processing, cleaning at least once a day should be maintained. 3. The processing woks and stoves should be dedicated, and daily household cooking utensils should not be used to process tea. An ash pit should be set up at the stove to avoid fuel and dust contaminating the tea leaves. The chimney opening should be set outdoors. 4. There should be sufficient utensils for spreading and holding tea leaves, and during processing the tea leaves should be kept from directly contacting the ground. 5. Before stir-frying tea leaves, hands should be washed with clean water; when entering the processing site, shoes should be changed; smoking and spitting anywhere are not allowed at the processing site. Persons suffering from infectious diseases and skin diseases must not carry out tea processing and packaging operations. 6. Finished tea should be stored in a dry, sealed, light-proof, cool place or container to prevent the tea from becoming damp and deteriorating or absorbing off-odors.