To provide a sorting apparatus which can sort and remove foreign matter in tea leaves, which has similar color as that of a tea leaf.

Foreign matter-containing tea leaves put on a detection section (1) is irradiated with light, optical response from the foreign matter-containing tea leaves is detected, and on the basis of a detection signal, a removing device is operated to sort and remove the foreign matter in the tea leaves. In this foreign matter sorting apparatus, the foreign matter-containing tea leaves and a background (3) adjusted so as to give an optical response equal to that of the tea leaves are irradiated with light in the wavelength region of 300 nm to 500 nm, the intensity of reflected light and intensity of fluorescence emitted from the foreign matter-containing tea leaves are separately detected, and on the basis of the detected reflection light intensity and the fluorescence intensity, the foreign matter is sorted and removed.