INT12International/BusinessIndia's Premier's Tea enters North AmericaToronto, Oct 2 IANS India's Premier's Tea, which claims to process the world's purest tea at its state-of-the-art facility, has entered the North American market.The Kolkata-based company will sell all its major brands - Darjeeling, Assam, Nilgiris and Kangra - in Canada, the US and Mexico through its Toronto-based Premier's Tea North America subsidiary.Launching the famous Indian brands here Wednesday, Premier's chairman Hasmukh Shah said: "We already sell in 26 countries. Now consumers in North America will get a taste of our 100 percent pure Darjeeling tea when so much fake tea is being sold under this world-famous brand."Though the Darjeeling brand is globally protected, almost 75 percent of the so-called Darjeeling tea sold worldwide is fake, he lamented. "India produces 8.75 million kg of Darjeeling tea, but 33 million kg fake tea is sold worldwide under this brand as dealers in many countries, including the UK, brand adulterated tea as Darjeeling tea," he said.Shah said Indian missions abroad were mounting an awareness campaign and initiating legal action to check faking of the Darjeeling brand. He said Premier's pure tea was set to capture more of the global market as people abandoned coffee for health reasons. "People in the West now realise that tea is very good for health as it has just 1.3 percent caffeine as compared to 14.1 percent in coffee. Plus, tea is a great anti-oxidant," he said.Claiming that Premier's Tea was the purest in the world, Shah said: "All our brands are the purest as our tea is put through an eight-step cleaning process at the world's best plant - the only one outside Japan - in Kolkata."Premier's Tea North America chairman Martin Dorie said: "North Americans will now enjoy a pure, unadulterated cup of Indian black or green or organic tea... the finest cup you have ever tasted from the tea gardens of India." Premier's Tea North America president Robert Hebert said: "Till now, what you have been drinking is a blend of low quality teas. Now you will get our 100 percent pure Darjeeling and other brands."A convert to Hinduism, Herbert said tea was fast replacing coffee in North America. "Already, 330 million people in the age group of 16 to 65 drink tea. The numbers will rise fast as people get access to pure teas. We are beginning with two containers and I am sure we will soon sell a lot more," he said.--Indo-Asian News Servicegs/sh/dg 463 Words02101000