STiR coffee and tea magazine

26 STiR coffee and tea / Issue 2, 2017 (April/May) By Hans Niebergall HAMBURG, Germany It was a desperately dark period in European his- tory… millions already had lost their lives when American President Woodrow Wilson's cabinet voted unanimously to declare war on Germany. The year was 1917. Remarkably, 56 passionate, resilient, and entrepreneurial tea traders convened in Kassel, Germany that year to establish the tea associa- tion, known as "Deutscher Teeverband." These men were intent on rescuing and nurturing the tea trade well beyond the defeat of Germany and the end of World War I. One hundred years later Deutscher Teever- band remains a vibrant promoter of the tea trade, operating from impressive corporate headquarters nestled in the bustling seaport city of Hamburg. Maximilian Wittig, Deutscher Teeverband's secretary general and state-certified food chemist, is excitedly putting the final touches on the agenda for a spectacular event to commemorate the asso- ciation's centennial, to be held in Hamburg, April 25-26, 2017. Germany's tea trade has much to cel- ebrate, according to Wittig. Thirty-five full members, 19 associate mem- bers, and guests are expected to take part in this exclusive celebration. Highlights of the grand af- fair include a festive welcome party, an interna- tional tea symposium, and an elegant dinner, cul- minating in an official State Senate reception in Hamburg's historic City Hall. Asked about the Teeverband's mission, Wit- tig explained: "We strive to provide dedicated and robust support to our members on a host of issues relating to legalities, quality control, and the nutri- tional aspects of tea. We're keenly sensitive to our members' concerns, providing technical guidance Celebrating the German Tea Association's Centennial German Tea Milestone on tea subjects widely ranging from the safe use of pesticides to the introduc- tion of teas to new markets. "Tea compositions are becoming increasingly complex, requiring excep- tional care to achieve the ideal balance of ingredients," he said. "Fittingly, as many as 13 of the Teeverband's 19 associate members represent laboratories. Based on amazing technological advances, we are now able to examine tea elements (whether a leaf, fruit, berry, or herb) in much richer detail than ever before," said Wittig. As tea is not grown in Germany, is the Deutscher Teeverband collaborat- ing with tea growing countries? "Very much so," Wittig explains. "We enjoy close partnerships with the tea boards of Kenya, Sri Lanka, and India. We advise our international part- ners on emerging German and European trends, and provide information on many key shared topics of interest, albeit from different perspectives, serving the unique information needs of both our valued tea growing partners over- seas and our members at home." "Deutscher Teeverband has instituted a code of practice for quality con- trol, to which all of our members have committed," he said. "The code stipu- lates guidelines for tea sampling and tea inspections for pesticide residues. Headquarters of the Deutscher Teeverband, in Hamburg, Germany

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