ISO 18449:2021

Green tea — Vocabulary

This document defines terms for classifying and assessing green tea for commerce.

Thé vert — Vocabulaire

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 17-May-2021
• ICS: 01.040.67 - Food technology (Vocabularies)
• ICS: 67.140.10 - Tea
• Technical Committee: ISO/TC 34/SC 8 - Tea
• Drafting Committee: ISO/TC 34/SC 8/WG 10 - Green tea - Vocabulary
• Current Stage: 9092 - International Standard to be revised
• Completion Date: 12-Jul-2023

Standards Content (Sample)

INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 18449
First edition
2021-05
Green tea — Vocabulary
Thé vert — Vocabulaire
Reference number
ISO 18449:2021(E)
©
ISO 2021

---------------------- Page: 1 ----------------------
ISO 18449:2021(E)

COPYRIGHT PROTECTED DOCUMENT
© ISO 2021
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting
on the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address
below or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
ii © ISO 2021 – All rights reserved

---------------------- Page: 2 ----------------------
ISO 18449:2021(E)

Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
3.1 Classification of green tea . 1
3.2 Dry leaf . 2
3.2.1 Appearance . 2
3.2.2 Colour . 5
3.3 Quality of liquor . 6
3.3.1 Taste . 6
3.3.2 Colour of liquor . 8
3.4 Infused leaf . 9
3.4.1 Appearance . 9
3.4.2 Aroma .10
© ISO 2021 – All rights reserved iii

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ISO 18449:2021(E)

Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out
through ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical
committee has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International
organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work.
ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of
electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are
described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the
different types of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the
editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www .iso .org/ directives).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. Details of
any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the Introduction and/or
on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www .iso .org/ patents).
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and
expressions related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to the
World Trade Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), see www .iso .org/
iso/ foreword .html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 34, Food products, Subcommittee SC 8,
Tea.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www .iso .org/ members .html.
iv © ISO 2021 – All rights reserved

---------------------- Page: 4 ----------------------
ISO 18449:2021(E)

Introduction
Tea is grown and manufactured in numerous countries around the world and is blended or drunk in
many more. Green tea is produced using fresh tea leaves, which can be from more than one garden
or region. There are many factors that impact the flavour of green tea, including the water used for
brewing, the preparation method of the liquor and individual tastes.
The two International Standards for black tea, which provide a vocabulary and requirements, ISO 6078
and ISO 3720, respectively, were first published in the 1980s and are still used today, with the latter
having been revised several times. They have played an important role in improving the global black
tea trade.
Currently, an increasing number of consumers enjoy drinking green tea not only for its impact on health,
but also for its special appearance and flavour. ISO 11287 provides the requirements for green tea, and
this document provides the accompanying vocabulary. It has been developed primarily for use by the
tea trade, to enable clear and open communication, and also to ensure that consumers are not misled.
The quality of green tea is usually assessed by professional tea tasters, whose judgement is based
on their experience of tea evaluation, the conditions of the producing area and the preferences of
the consuming country. Five factors are considered when evaluating the quality of green tea: the
appearance of the dry tea leaf (such as shape, colour, cleanliness and evenness), the appearance and the
odour of the infused leaf, and the colour and the taste of the tea liquor. Usually, a chemical analysis of
tea is undertaken only when it is specifically requested or abnormal characteristics are exhibited.
This document comprises a selection of terms used in the tea trade all over the world, covering not only
the processing of green tea but also the essential aspects of assessing green tea for commerce.
Many of the terms in current use for green tea are synonymous or very similar in meaning, and
considerable divergences in usage exist.
Accordingly, this document aims to establish recognized definitions for the terms, and thus eliminate
differences in usage, and also to encourage a reduction in the number of terms used overall.
The terms are classified as follows:
— classification of green tea (see 3.1);
— dry leaf:
— appearance (see 3.2.1);
— colour (see 3.2.2);
— quality of liquor:
— taste (see 3.3.1);
— colour of liquor (see 3.3.2);
— infused leaf:
— appearance (see 3.4.1);
— aroma (see 3.4.2).
© ISO 2021 – All rights reserved v

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INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 18449:2021(E)
Green tea — Vocabulary
1 Scope
This document defines terms for classifying and assessing green tea for commerce.
2 Normative references
There are no normative references in this document.
3 Terms and definitions
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https:// www .iso .org/ obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at http:// www .electropedia .org/
3.1 Classification of green tea
3.1.1
green tea
tea derived solely and exclusively, and produced, from the leaves, buds and tender stems of the species
Camellia sinensis (Linnaeus) O. Kuntze, known to be suitable for making tea for consumption as a
beverage
Note 1 to entry: The processing of green tea consists of two parts: first, manufacturing and then refining. In
the first, tea is manufactured through withering, fixation, shaping (rolling or others) and drying. In the refining
process, the products are made by mixing, sifting, stalk extraction and fanning, etc.
3.1.1.1
pan-fired green tea
green tea whose drying process after rolling is through a hot machine to achieve further shaping and
final dryness
3.1.1.1.1
ball-shaped pan-fired green tea
green tea manufactured with a special process for rolling up the leaf tightly and making green tea ball-
shaped
3.1.1.1.2
long-shaped pan-fired green tea
long-shaped fired green tea with a long strip appearance manufactured with a special process of
twisting
3.1.1.1.3
flat-shaped pan-fired green tea
pan-fried green tea manufactured with a special process for flattening leaf and making green tea flat
3.1.1.2
roasted green tea
green tea whose final drying is by hot air
© ISO 2021 – All rights reserved 1

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ISO 18449:2021(E)

3.1.1.3
sun-dried green tea
green tea dried in moderate sunlight
3.1.1.4
steamed green tea
green tea whose enzymes are inactivated and fixed by steaming
3.2 Dry leaf
3.2.1 Appearance
3.2.1.1
bent
dry leaf that is not straight with slightly curved
3.2.1.2
bird tongue-like
small and flat buds similar to the tongue of a tit
3.2.1.3
blister
swelling on the surface of dry leaf caused by too rapid removal of moisture during manufacturing
3.2.1.4
blunt
dry leaf with no sharp tip
3.2.1.5
bold
large and open leaf
3.2.1.6
clean and neat
evenly sorted without any stalk, fibre or extraneous matter
3.2.1.7
coarse
containing an abnormal amount of old and rough leaves
3.2.1.8
consistent
consisting of leaf with the same grade and comprising pieces of approximately equal size
3.2.1.9
curly
rolled leaf with a curled appearance
3.2.1.10
dusty
containing an abnormal amount of small tea particles and/or dust
3.2.1.11
fannings
predominantly broken smaller leaf particles
3.2.1.12
fibrous
containing a noticeable amount of shredded stalks and fibres
2 © ISO 2021 – All rights reserved

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ISO 18449:2021(E)

3.
...

FINAL
INTERNATIONAL ISO/FDIS
DRAFT
STANDARD 18449
ISO/TC 34/SC 8
Green tea — Vocabulary
Secretariat: BSI
Voting begins on: Thé vert — Vocabulaire
2021­02­16
Voting terminates on:
2021­04­13
RECIPIENTS OF THIS DRAFT ARE INVITED TO
SUBMIT, WITH THEIR COMMENTS, NOTIFICATION
OF ANY RELEVANT PATENT RIGHTS OF WHICH
THEY ARE AWARE AND TO PROVIDE SUPPOR TING
DOCUMENTATION.
IN ADDITION TO THEIR EVALUATION AS
Reference number
BEING ACCEPTABLE FOR INDUSTRIAL, TECHNO­
ISO/FDIS 18449:2021(E)
LOGICAL, COMMERCIAL AND USER PURPOSES,
DRAFT INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS MAY ON
OCCASION HAVE TO BE CONSIDERED IN THE
LIGHT OF THEIR POTENTIAL TO BECOME STAN­
DARDS TO WHICH REFERENCE MAY BE MADE IN
©
NATIONAL REGULATIONS. ISO 2021

---------------------- Page: 1 ----------------------
ISO/FDIS 18449:2021(E)

COPYRIGHT PROTECTED DOCUMENT
© ISO 2021
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting
on the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address
below or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
CH­1214 Vernier, Geneva
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
ii © ISO 2021 – All rights reserved

---------------------- Page: 2 ----------------------
ISO/FDIS 18449:2021(E)

Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
3.1 Classification of green tea . 1
3.2 Dry leaf . 2
3.2.1 Appearance . 2
3.2.2 Colour . 5
3.3 Quality of liquor . 6
3.3.1 Taste . 6
3.3.2 Colour of liquor . 8
3.4 Infused leaf . 9
3.4.1 Appearance . 9
3.4.2 Aroma .10
© ISO 2021 – All rights reserved iii

---------------------- Page: 3 ----------------------
ISO/FDIS 18449:2021(E)

Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out
through ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical
committee has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International
organizations, governmental and non­governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work.
ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of
electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are
described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the
different types of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the
editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www .iso .org/ directives).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. Details of
any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the Introduction and/or
on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www .iso .org/ patents).
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and
expressions related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to the
World Trade Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), see www .iso .org/
iso/ foreword .html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 34, Food products, Subcommittee SC 8, Tea.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www .iso .org/ members .html.
iv © ISO 2021 – All rights reserved

---------------------- Page: 4 ----------------------
ISO/FDIS 18449:2021(E)

Introduction
Tea is grown and manufactured in numerous countries around the world and is blended or drunk in
many more. Green tea is produced using fresh tea leaves, which can be from more than one garden
or region. There are many factors that impact the flavour of green tea, including the water used for
brewing, the preparation method of the liquor and individual tastes.
The two International Standards for black tea, which provide a vocabulary and requirements (ISO 6078
and ISO 3720, respectively), were first published in the 1980s and are still used today, with the latter
having been revised several times. They have played an important role in improving the global black
tea trade.
Currently, an increasing number of consumers enjoy drinking green tea not only for its impact on health,
but also for its special appearance and flavour. ISO 11287 provides the requirements for green tea, and
this document provides the accompanying vocabulary. It has been developed primarily for use by the
tea trade, to enable clear and open communication, and also to ensure that consumers are not misled.
The quality of green tea is usually assessed by professional tea tasters, whose judgement is based
on their experience of tea evaluation, the conditions of the producing area and the preferences of
the consuming country. Five factors are considered when evaluating the quality of green tea: the
appearance of the dry tea leaf (such as shape, colour, cleanliness and evenness), the appearance and the
odour of the infused leaf, and the colour and the taste of the tea liquor. Usually, a chemical analysis of
tea is undertaken only when it is specifically requested or abnormal characteristics are exhibited.
This document comprises a selection of terms used in the tea trade all over the world, covering not only
the processing of green tea but also the essential aspects of assessing green tea for commerce.
Many of the terms in current use for green tea are synonymous or very similar in meaning, and
considerable divergences in usage exist.
Accordingly, this document aims to establish recognized definitions for the terms, and thus eliminate
differences in usage, and also to encourage a reduction in the number of terms used overall.
The terms are classified as follows:
— classification of green tea (see 3.1);
— dry leaf:
— appearance (see 3.2.1);
— colour (see 3.2.2);
— quality of liquor:
— taste (see 3.3.1);
— colour of liquor (see 3.3.2);
— infused leaf:
— appearance (see 3.4.1);
— aroma (see 3.4.2).
© ISO 2021 – All rights reserved v

---------------------- Page: 5 ----------------------
FINAL DRAFT INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO/FDIS 18449:2021(E)
Green tea — Vocabulary
1 Scope
This document defines terms for classifying and assessing green tea for commerce.
2 Normative references
There are no normative references in this document.
3 Terms and definitions
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https:// www .iso .org/ obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at http:// www .electropedia .org/
3.1 Classification of green tea
3.1.1
green tea
tea derived solely and exclusively, and produced, from the leaves, buds and tender stems of the species
Camellia sinensis (Linnaeus) O. Kuntze, known to be suitable for making tea for consumption as a
beverage
Note 1 to entry: The processing of green tea consists of two parts: first, manufacturing and then refining. In
the first, tea is manufactured through withering, fixation, shaping (rolling or others) and drying. In the refining
process, the products are made by mixing, sifting, stalk extraction and fanning, etc.
3.1.1.1
pan-fired green tea
green tea whose drying process after rolling is through a hot machine to achieve further shaping and
final dryness
3.1.1.1.1
ball-shaped pan-fired green tea
green tea manufactured with a special process for rolling up the leaf tightly and making green tea
ball­shaped
3.1.1.1.2
long-shaped pan-fired green tea
long-shaped fired green tea with a long strip appearance manufactured with a special process of
twisting
3.1.1.1.3
flat-shaped pan-fired green tea
roasted green tea manufactured with a special process for flattening leaf and making green tea flat
3.1.1.2
roasted green tea
green tea whose final drying is by hot air
© ISO 2021 – All rights reserved 1

---------------------- Page: 6 ----------------------
ISO/FDIS 18449:2021(E)

3.1.1.3
sun-dried green tea
green tea dried in moderate sunlight
3.1.1.4
steamed green tea
green tea whose enzymes are inactivated and fixed by steaming
3.2 Dry leaf
3.2.1 Appearance
3.2.1.1
bent
dry leaf that is not straight with slightly curved
3.2.1.2
bird tongue-like
small and flat buds similar to the tongue of a tit
3.2.1.3
blister
swelling on the surface of dry leaf caused by too rapid removal of moisture during manufacturing
3.2.1.4
blunt
dry leaf with no sharp tip
3.2.1.5
bold
large and open leaf
3.2.1.6
clean and neat
evenly sorted without any stalk, fibre or extraneous matter
3.2.1.7
coarse
containing an abnormal amount of old and rough leaves
3.2.1.8
consistent
consisting of leaf with the same grade and comprising pieces of approximately equal size
3.2.1.9
curly
rolled leaf with a curled appearance
3.2.1.10
dusty
containing an abnormal amount of small tea par
...