ISO 6078:1982 PDF

Overview

ISO 6078:1982 - Black tea - Vocabulary is an international standard published by ISO (first edition 1982) that provides a bilingual (English/French) glossary of terms used in the commercial processing and sensory assessment of black tea. Developed by ISO/TC 34 (Agricultural food products), the 22‑page document classifies and defines terms to promote consistent communication across the tea trade, laboratory testing, quality control and international commerce.

Key topics

The vocabulary is organized into five practical groups and includes alphabetical indices in both languages:

• Dry leaf (appearance, colour, odour)
  • Examples from the standard: attractive, blister, choppy, tippy, black, brown, dull.
• Liquor (taste characteristics, appearance)
  • Terms used to describe brewed tea (liquor) sensory attributes.
• Appearance of infused leaf
  • Descriptors for the look and state of leaves after infusion.
• Method of manufacture
  • Vocabulary related to orthodox, CTC and other manufacturing processes.
• General
  • Cross‑cutting terms used in grading, handling and commerce.

Additional material: an annex on grades of black tea and bilingual alphabetical indices to help locate equivalent English and French terms. The standard also clarifies that some terms may have non‑literal translations and that identical words can describe different attributes (e.g., “dull” applied to dry leaf, infused leaf or liquor).

Practical applications

ISO 6078 is a reference tool that improves clarity and consistency in all activities relying on precise tea terminology:

• Standardizes vocabulary for quality assessment, sensory panels and grading reports.
• Supports purchasing contracts, specifications and trade documentation by providing agreed definitions.
• Aids training for QCs, graders, tasters and field staff to reduce terminological confusion.
• Assists technical translators and multilingual teams by supplying English–French correspondences.
• Useful to researchers, regulatory authorities and standards bodies referencing accepted terms in technical reports and guidance.

Who should use it

• Tea producers, packers and blenders
• Quality assurance and sensory evaluation labs
• Commodity traders, buyers and import/export professionals
• Certification and inspection bodies
• Technical translators working with tea industry documents

Related standards (if applicable)

ISO 6078 complements other ISO and national standards on tea testing methods, sampling and grading produced by ISO/TC 34. Consult ISO catalogues for updated standards on tea analysis, sampling and lab methods.

Keywords: ISO 6078, black tea vocabulary, black tea terminology, tea processing vocabulary, tea grading, tea quality assessment, dry leaf, liquor, infused leaf.