There were reports that the bags used to make these teas could be pathogenic. This news was enough to make us wonder if the news is true and the bag used in tea bags can make you sick or not!
We talked about this with Reza Esmailzadeh, a food industry expert, Zubin Amiri, a tea producer, Mohsen Farhadi, Deputy Minister of Environmental Health, Mohammad Hossein Azizi, a food industry expert, Farnaz Chubaki, a tea and tea expert, and Emad Dehghani, an environmental health expert. Read this article to know more about this topic.
Why are tea bags pathogenic?
Mohammad Hossein Azizi, a food industry expert, believes that the risk of bags being used in the production of tea bags depends on the quality of the paper used in production. If the paper is of poor quality, it may be contaminated with chlorine compounds, including epichlorohydrin. Because paper is bleached with chlorine for use in tea bags, it is not uncommon for it to be impregnated with epichlorohydrin.
In addition, there is another issue that is said to be present in the products made of plastic and then in the paper of tea bags, the chemical phthalate may be present. In addition to the process of processing and adding some ingredients to bagged teas, another reason for the contamination of these teas is probably the use of paper. In fact, using the paper of these teas for packaging in the form of sachets may contaminate it with phthalates.
Where does the problem with these tea bags come from?
The Young Journalists Club recently reported that a group of German scientists had discovered that black tea bags contained substances that were harmful to human health. This problem lies in the paper used in tea bags, as it contains the substance Aepklorhedrinn, which is used in the paper, plastic and pesticide industries.
According to scientists, as soon as epichlorohydrin comes in contact with water, a carcinogenic compound called 3-MCPD is formed, which is a new problem in the food sector in the world today. The study was published by the Young Journalists Club, quoting Al-Alam.
When will cancer lurk?
Azizi points out an important point: The amount of carcinogens that may be present in tea bags is also very important. Of course, a large amount of these substances must enter the body to have a destructive effect. In addition, this carcinogenesis does not occur all at once and in the long run, the destructive effects of these compounds on people’s health can be seen.
Are all tea bags carcinogenic?
Not all tea bags are carcinogenic or pathogenic and should not be worried. If high-quality, new and high-quality paper is used in the production of tea bags, there is certainly no worrying risk. As long as the packaging paper is not waste and waste paper, it is very important and has an impact on health.
How are tea bags diagnosed as carcinogenic?
To diagnose the contamination of tea bags with carcinogens of epichlorohydrin, many tests should be performed using advanced devices. The buyer cannot tell if the tea bag is contaminated, but surveillance devices do the necessary checks and collect contaminated products where necessary.
What can we do to prevent cancer tea?
In order to be safe from the contamination of tea bags, it is necessary to use high-quality types, preferably internal ones. Of course, domestically produced teas are subject to quality control inspections by relevant factories and organizations. Of course, it is not the case that imported teas are not regulated, but in any case, domestic products impose health restrictions from the very beginning of production.
Which tea should we drink?
Peasant, environmental health expert advises: We usually advise people not to use aromatic tea due to the addition of aromatic substances. It is better to drink regular tea and use natural ingredients such as cardamom, cinnamon and… at home for its taste and aroma. In addition, if possible, do not use tea bags and use the brewing system to have the natural color of tea instead of artificial colors of some products.
In the country, a variety of teas are produced with reputable brands and approved by the Ministry of Health, which are supervised and should be used. To ensure the health of the tea, you can pay attention to the logo of the Food and Drug Administration (in the form of green apples), the manufacturing license of the product and the standard mark on the product. Certainly, a product that has these signs and symptoms will be evaluated qualitatively by the relevant organizations and its health can be assured. Of course, some teas that have these symptoms may be imported, but they are still monitored and tested for contamination.
What are the regulations for tea?
Engineer Farnaz Chubaki, a tea and tea expert from the Ministry of Health, says about the supervision of imported tea bags: “Certainly, everything that enters the country through official channels will be examined and supervised by the Food and Drug Administration.” Tea bags are no exception. Bagged teas are evaluated both in terms of content and in terms of packaging and bags, and if they do not meet the standards, they will not be allowed to be imported.
Food and Drug Administration laboratories open the contents of the tea bag and carefully examine it. After all the steps, the licenses are given unless a brand of tea is smuggled in or through an informal channel. Domestic products must also have a manufacturing license, in which case we deny that these products are pathogenic.
What are the standards for tea?
“In general, anything that is in direct contact with the foodstuff must be licensed for production and use in order for the factory to have a production license,” says Chubaki about the standards for tea bags. Therefore, in addition to tea and the ingredients used in it, the type of packaging is also evaluated. If the results of the assessments are in line with national and health standards and have a nutritional grade, no problem will arise.
Domestically produced teas are safer
“Domestic products have their own standard, which is made available to producers by those in charge, and domestic producers are required to comply with it,” says Chubaki about the supervision and standardization of bagged teas. People must pay attention to the construction license and number to ensure compliance with the standards. The 16-digit import license, the name of the manufacturing and importing company, the importing country, and so on are other things to consider. In addition to all this, for more security, you can refer to the website of the Food and Drug Administration and see the brands that have production and import licenses.
What are tea bags made of?
“Usually all over the world, tea bags are made of paper, but recently we see products that use silk or similar silk,” says Zubin Amiri, an organic tea producer. These bags are used for cases that are not rectangular (curved or in other shapes) or for cases that need to be seen better inside, or the beer penetrates faster and better. Except for these new cases, all other products are made of paper.
Which tea is better?
Ismailzadeh says about the excessive consumption of tea bags: The paper of tea bags must be evaluated in order to say whether it is problematic or not. Cellulose is used all over the world to make these bags. Cellulose is usually not a problem, any other material used to make tea bags will not be a problem if it is based on cellulose.
The use of tea bags is also an option and it is definitely not possible to advise people not to use tea bags, but we recommend that you use it less because of issues that have not yet been thoroughly researched, such as the color of tea bags. The best option is regular teas, which take a relatively long time to color.
Should I buy a personal tea maker or not?
A product called a tea maker, which is a means of instantly brewing tea, is available in the form of mannequins, flowers and که, which are recently used. We asked Ismailzadeh about the health of this product. He replied: “Its appearance is silicone or plastic, but it must be carefully evaluated to say whether it is problematic in dealing with beer or not.”
But our advice, and safer, is to use less about a product that does not have accurate information. When there are safer items made of glass, porcelain, traditional teapots, etc., it is better to use other products that are in doubt about their health.
