MOSCOW (Reuters) - India is seeking to restore its leading position in Russia's tea market by increasing sales and setting up joint ventures, a senior industry official said on Thursday.

"We are planning to become No. 1 again through supplying high-quality teas to Russia and creating joint ventures with Russian importers," said Basudev Banerjee, chairman of the Tea Board of India.

"We want the producers to be here in Russia," he said during a visit to Russia with a delegation from the Tea Board.

Russia is traditionally a tea-drinking country, consuming about 170,000 tonnes per year. It was India's main tea export market before 2001, but Indian exports to Russia declined to about 30,000 tonnes in 2006 from 113,000 tonnes in 2000.

Other countries, including Sri Lanka, China, Indonesia, Kenya and Vietnam, increased their market share in the meantime.

FDA Warns About Ingredient In Some Celestial Seasonings Teas

The FDA has warned Celestial Seasonings tea company about potential dangers from an herbal supplment, a natural sweetener from South America that's called Stevia.

The FDA said Stevia might be harmful for blood sugar levels and cardiovascular systems.

Celestial Seasoning uses Stevia in its Zinger teas and others, including green tea. (See FDA Warning Letter, below, for full list.)

FDA Warning Letter Celestial Seasonings Responds To FDA

.