PHENOLIC COMPOSITION OF BLACK TEA LIQUORS AS A MEANS OF PREDICTING PRICE AND COUNTRY OF ORIGIN

Seventy-seven block teas from seven countries were analysed by HPLC. The relative levels of the 11 most prominent peaks detected at 380 nm were determined. The teas were priced or scored by professional tea tasters. Statistical analysis of the HPLC results, with principal component analysis (PCA) and canonical variate analysis (CVA), highlighted the characteristic differences in phenolic constituent levels which contributed most powerfully to the discrimination between countries. Multiple regression was used to investigate the relationship between price (or score) and phenolic constituent level. Certain phenolic constituents seem to be important in determining quality but further work is recommended to ensure the significance of the observed trends.