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what's the shelf life of tea?

Aug 04, 2021

What is "Tea shelf life"?

Tea shelf life refers to the period of time for prepackaged tea to maintain quality under the storage conditions specified on the label. Generally speaking, the specific shelf life of each product has its own industry standard or national standard. If there is no standard, it will be marked with the default time in the industry. . Therefore, the shelf life of tea is equivalent to the company's commitment to consumers. During this period, the flavor, taste, and safety of the tea are guaranteed, and you can eat with confidence.


What does the Tea shelf life include?

The shelf life of tea is composed of two elements, one is the storage condition, and the other is the period. The two are closely related and inseparable. The storage conditions must be marked on the tea label, and usually include: room temperature, dark storage, refrigerated storage, frozen storage, etc. If the product storage conditions do not meet the requirements, the shelf life of the tea is likely to be shortened, or even lose safety guarantees.


Does the tea that have passed the expiration date necessarily deteriorated?

The shelf life of tea is not the only criterion for identifying whether tea and other products have deteriorated. It may deteriorate prematurely due to the influence of changing substances such as storage methods and the environment, so the teashould be eaten within the shelf life as much as possible. The shelf life of the opened tea will be shortened, so it should be consumed as soon as possible to avoid product deterioration. Pre-packaged tea are kept for a period of time under the storage conditions specified on the label (for example, 0°C to 4°C), during which the products are fully suitable for sale.


Can the tea not be eaten after the expiration date?

Tea that has passed the expiration date can no longer be sold and must be removed from the shelves. However, tea that has passed the expiration date is not equivalent to harmfultea. The main short-term change that occurs after the shelf life ofteais the deterioration of sensory quality, but it can still be consumed, such as certain fruit juices, beverages, and some dryteaand cereal products with low fat content. And someteas may cause safety hazards after the shelf life, such as excessive microbes, heavy metals, and peroxide values, such as some refrigeratedteas, metal cannedteas, and friedteas.

Tea beyond the expiration date does not mean that it has spoiled, cannot be eaten, or is poisonous. It depends on the situation. There is no need to panic too much. Some teas are edible after the expiry date, but the quality and nutrition will be reduced to some extent, but no safety problems will arise. However, out of consideration of the quality of life and potential safety hazards, it is still recommended to consume tea within the shelf life. The tea safety and taste during the shelf life are undoubtedly the best.


So, what exactly is the tea shelf life standard?

Green tea: In the process of storage, transportation, circulation, etc., affected by factors such as moisture content, environmental temperature, humidity, oxygen, and light, its color, aroma, taste and other sensory factors and nutritional value will decrease over time. The standard research on the shelf life of green tea has been in a blank state. This standard is based on the study of the green tea storage and preservation system and combined with the long-term production practice of the company. (M2·24h), the oxygen transmission rate should be less than 0.1cm3/(m2·24h·0.1MPa) under the storage conditions and shelf life, see Table 1:

Black tea: In recent years, it has been in a stage of continuous growth. Traditional black tea varieties have become more and more abundant, and black tea products have a complete range of specifications. Due to the influence of processing technology, black tea will also be affected by light, oxygen, moisture and other environments during processing and storage. However, it is different from other teas and has certain particularities. The innovative provisions of this standard are different The shelf life of black tea in the storage environment. Sealed and packaged with packaging materials such as aluminum foil bags, aluminum foil composite bags or cans. The moisture content before pre-packing is ≤6g/100g, and the storage area is clean, dry, protected from light, and has no peculiar smell. The shelf life of crushed black tea should be 36 months , The shelf life of other black teas should be 48 months.

Tea products: my country’s tea products are mainly solid instant tea, matcha and tea concentrates. Although the above products have product standards, the product shelf life is not explained. This project standard fills the gap in the shelf life standard and stipulates The storage conditions and shelf life under the aluminum foil composite packaging (the water vapor transmission rate of the packaging material should be less than 1.5 g/(m2·24h) and the oxygen transmission rate should be less than 0.1cm3/(m2·24h·0.1MPa), as shown in Table 2

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