Food Safety Corner: Tea

We love our tea, whether it's freshly brewed hot tea, or a cool refreshing iced tea on a hot summer day. But it turns out that storing brewed teas at room temperature can actually be a problem for food safety.

Like most plant derived foods, dry tea leaves can contain low levels of bacteria, yeast and mold. If you brew it at an improper temperature, or store it at room temperature for long periods of time, these low levels can grow to dangerous levels (Remember that bacteria double every 20 minutes in the Temperature Danger Zone). Also, pitchers and kettles that have not been properly cleaned and sanitized can help promote the growth of these microorganisms. Like many people, if you leave the kettle on the stove and just fill it up when you want a fresh cup of tea, you could be putting yourself at risk.

The water used to brew tea should be heated to 195° F (91° C) for automatic iced tea and coofee machines. Tea leaves should be in contact with the water for one minute.

If using the traditional steeping method, water should be 175° F (80° C). The tea leaves need five minutes of contact with the water if brewing traditionally.

And, sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but that old fashioned pitcher of sun tea you have on the back porch? That's a recipe for food-borne illness. You leave the tea sitting there for hours, right in the middle of the TDZ (40°F-135°F). If the tea leaves have bacteria in them, they will grow to unhealthy levels, which could especially be a problem for the elderly or people with compromised immune systems.