Enjoying your cuppa

[said]

I have several allergies to some of the chemicals added to foods. It takes many months to check and test just which foods are causing the problem. I have regularly enjoyed a cup of tea for many years - but I have just discovered I am allergic to everyday tea.

Tea? But it is naturally grown - there are no additives shown on the packet?

Ah! The tea bags used for convenience, have been changed from being made of paper to a fine plastic material the chemicals of which seep into your brew.

While growing tea, there are no fewer than 17 different pesticides used.

Independent lab testing by CBC News Canada has found many tea brands contain pesticides over levels permitted in that country.
CBC’s research found multiple chemicals in eight out of 10 popular brands of green and black tea. Half the teas contained pesticide levels in excess of allowable limits. Tetley, Lipton and Twinings, brands popular with Australians, were among those highest in pesticide contamination.
Indicating more than a random finding, two reports by Greenpeace show pesticides are widely present in leading international tea brands from China and India, the two largest tea-producers in the world. The New Daily.

[gsgsgs]

I have several allergies to some of the chemicals added to foods. It takes many months to check and test just which foods are causing the problem. I have regularly enjoyed a cup of tea for many years - but I have just discovered I am allergic to everyday tea.

Tea? But it is naturally grown - there are no additives shown on the packet?

Ah! The tea bags used for convenience, have been changed from being made of paper to a fine plastic material the chemicals of which seep into your brew.

While growing tea, there are no fewer than 17 different pesticides used.

Independent lab testing by CBC News Canada has found many tea brands contain pesticides over levels permitted in that country.
CBC’s research found multiple chemicals in eight out of 10 popular brands of green and black tea. Half the teas contained pesticide levels in excess of allowable limits. Tetley, Lipton and Twinings, brands popular with Australians, were among those highest in pesticide contamination.
Indicating more than a random finding, two reports by Greenpeace show pesticides are widely present in leading international tea brands from China and India, the two largest tea-producers in the world. The New Daily.

Which tea? I would think most manufactures are going the other way round from plastic teabags to paper, Yorkshire tea as an example.

[said]

Which tea? I would think most manufactures are going the other way round from plastic teabags to paper, Yorkshire tea as an example.

"In March 2020, Yorkshire Tea which, at the end of last year, overtook PG Tips as the most popular brand in the UK announced that they are well on the way to switching away from plastic completely. Instead, their tea bags are going to be made of a plant-based “plastic” called PLA. The update on their website posted on 9th March states:

… by the end of April, we reckon we’ll have made about 360 million tea bags with the new material. If all goes well, about 20% of the UK Yorkshire Tea bags we make from that point will be PLA. That should be up to 50% by the end of June, and by January 2021 all UK Yorkshire Tea, Yorkshire Gold, Yorkshire Tea Decaf and Yorkshire Tea for Hard Water will have switched."

In September 2019, around 96% of the tea bags used in the UK contain non-biodegradable polypropylene fibres woven into the fabric of the bag, which allows them to be sealed by heat. Polypropylene is a highly persistent plastic that simply does not break down so you shouldn’t put it on your home compost heap unless you plan to sieve the compost before use. Official guidance says that, despite this, all tea bags should be put in your council’s food waste bin where they will then be sent for commercial composting or anaerobic digestion.
Unfortunately, this means that an increasing amount of these polypropylene fibres are ending up in the agricultural compost in which our food is grown. A team at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh found a variety of microplastic in all the sites they tested. So far they have only tested three sites, and our knowledge of the effect of microplastics in the soil is not yet as advanced as our knowledge about microplastics in our seas and oceans but it seems likely that the food we grow and eat is almost certainly contaminated with microplastics with as yet unknown effects on our health and the health of our wildlife.

[gsgsgs]

"In March 2020, Yorkshire Tea which, at the end of last year, overtook PG Tips as the most popular brand in the UK announced that they are well on the way to switching away from plastic completely. Instead, their tea bags are going to be made of a plant-based “plastic” called PLA. The update on their website posted on 9th March states:

… by the end of April, we reckon we’ll have made about 360 million tea bags with the new material. If all goes well, about 20% of the UK Yorkshire Tea bags we make from that point will be PLA. That should be up to 50% by the end of June, and by January 2021 all UK Yorkshire Tea, Yorkshire Gold, Yorkshire Tea Decaf and Yorkshire Tea for Hard Water will have switched."

In September 2019, around 96% of the tea bags used in the UK contain non-biodegradable polypropylene fibres woven into the fabric of the bag, which allows them to be sealed by heat. Polypropylene is a highly persistent plastic that simply does not break down so you shouldn’t put it on your home compost heap unless you plan to sieve the compost before use. Official guidance says that, despite this, all tea bags should be put in your council’s food waste bin where they will then be sent for commercial composting or anaerobic digestion.
Unfortunately, this means that an increasing amount of these polypropylene fibres are ending up in the agricultural compost in which our food is grown. A team at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh found a variety of microplastic in all the sites they tested. So far they have only tested three sites, and our knowledge of the effect of microplastics in the soil is not yet as advanced as our knowledge about microplastics in our seas and oceans but it seems likely that the food we grow and eat is almost certainly contaminated with microplastics with as yet unknown effects on our health and the health of our wildlife.

I stand corrected

[donkey22]

I have several allergies to some of the chemicals added to foods. It takes many months to check and test just which foods are causing the problem. I have regularly enjoyed a cup of tea for many years - but I have just discovered I am allergic to everyday tea.

Tea? But it is naturally grown - there are no additives shown on the packet?

Ah! The tea bags used for convenience, have been changed from being made of paper to a fine plastic material the chemicals of which seep into your brew.

While growing tea, there are no fewer than 17 different pesticides used.

Independent lab testing by CBC News Canada has found many tea brands contain pesticides over levels permitted in that country.
CBC’s research found multiple chemicals in eight out of 10 popular brands of green and black tea. Half the teas contained pesticide levels in excess of allowable limits. Tetley, Lipton and Twinings, brands popular with Australians, were among those highest in pesticide contamination.
Indicating more than a random finding, two reports by Greenpeace show pesticides are widely present in leading international tea brands from China and India, the two largest tea-producers in the world. The New Daily.

Buy a teapot.
Buy organic tea leaves.
Problem solved.

[said]

Buy a teapot.
Buy organic tea leaves.
Problem solved.

They have been ordered - so beat you to it! But thanks.

[donkey22]

They have been ordered - so beat you to it! But thanks.

Would recommend the range from True-tea.

[said]

Would recommend the range from True-tea.

I don't know what was ordered exactly - I do know I stipulated a strong tea.

[gazaprop]

First thing - Yorkshire tea, double bagged. Evening - loose Yorkshire tea in a pot. Lovely.

[Hamble]

I don't know what was ordered exactly - I do know I stipulated a strong tea.

You need to ask for one a teaspoon would stand up in.

Assam Black Tea.

[seivad]

I have several allergies to some of the chemicals added to foods. It takes many months to check and test just which foods are causing the problem. I have regularly enjoyed a cup of tea for many years - but I have just discovered I am allergic to everyday tea.

Tea? But it is naturally grown - there are no additives shown on the packet?

Ah! The tea bags used for convenience, have been changed from being made of paper to a fine plastic material the chemicals of which seep into your brew.

While growing tea, there are no fewer than 17 different pesticides used.

Independent lab testing by CBC News Canada has found many tea brands contain pesticides over levels permitted in that country.
CBC’s research found multiple chemicals in eight out of 10 popular brands of green and black tea. Half the teas contained pesticide levels in excess of allowable limits. Tetley, Lipton and Twinings, brands popular with Australians, were among those highest in pesticide contamination.
Indicating more than a random finding, two reports by Greenpeace show pesticides are widely present in leading international tea brands from China and India, the two largest tea-producers in the world. The New Daily.

The change to plastic teabags isn't a recent thing. Which published a report in 2010 stating that the top tea manufacturers all used polypropylene in their teabags.

https://www.theguardian.com/environm...biodegradeable

I don't claim to be an authority on the subject, but if you've only just noticed an allergic reaction to tea, and teabags have contained plastic for at least 10 years, it's unlikely that plastic is the problem. Maybe the pesticides are the culprit.

I'm not really a tea drinker, but t'other half is. Like Gaza, he's a double bagged Yorkshire man. If I tell him there's plastic in the teabags, I'll have to root out the dusty teapot and buy loose tea. I still have a tea strainer and a tea egg from donkey's years ago...and a tea cozy!

[donkey22]

First thing - Yorkshire tea, double bagged. Evening - loose Yorkshire tea in a pot. Lovely.

Pineapple and ginger rooibos in the morning, sticky date delight rooibos in the cold evenings for me. Delicious.

[said]

The change to plastic teabags isn't a recent thing. Which published a report in 2010 stating that the top tea manufacturers all used polypropylene in their teabags.

https://www.theguardian.com/environm...biodegradeable

I don't claim to be an authority on the subject, but if you've only just noticed an allergic reaction to tea, and teabags have contained plastic for at least 10 years, it's unlikely that plastic is the problem. Maybe the pesticides are the culprit.

I'm not really a tea drinker, but t'other half is. Like Gaza, he's a double bagged Yorkshire man. If I tell him there's plastic in the teabags, I'll have to root out the dusty teapot and buy loose tea. I still have a tea strainer and a tea egg from donkey's years ago...and a tea cozy!

I had always been a tea drinker, so thought nothing about it. But after experiencing a number of symptoms I began stopping eating one food, going back on that and stopping another food and so on - it was only when I got down to tea as being the only possible culprit that I found certain teas were better than others - but now I am going on to organic. I have since found out that tea bags cannot be put on a compost heap as they are not bio-degradable - as the paper bags used to be. Also a number of chemicals used in that plastic compound, leech out into the tea in various quantities depending on how long the tea bag is left to stand in the cup. One of the most dangerous is a chemical 3-MCPD which is carcinogenic that can occur in resin re-inforced tea bags.

Considering how many times the EU withdrew various medications , ointments, toiletries and foods from British shelves - supposedly for safety - ( which I now suspect was in fact for protectionalism) I am surprised that such teas are allowed on the market. There are two reasons, one being that plastic is involved and is bad for the environment and two, because the chemicals being used are not safe.

[jamyramy]

I had always been a tea drinker, so thought nothing about it. But after experiencing a number of symptoms I began stopping eating one food, going back on that and stopping another food and so on - it was only when I got down to tea as being the only possible culprit that I found certain teas were better than others - but now I am going on to organic. I have since found out that tea bags cannot be put on a compost heap as they are not bio-degradable - as the paper bags used to be. Also a number of chemicals used in that plastic compound, leech out into the tea in various quantities depending on how long the tea bag is left to stand in the cup. One of the most dangerous is a chemical 3-MCPD which is carcinogenic that can occur in resin re-inforced tea bags.

Considering how many times the EU withdrew various medications , ointments, toiletries and foods from British shelves - supposedly for safety - ( which I now suspect was in fact for protectionalism) I am surprised that such teas are allowed on the market. There are two reasons, one being that plastic is involved and is bad for the environment and two, because the chemicals being used are not safe.

pg are supposed to have always used bio bags.as a tea drinker was concerned,when heard about the plastics.now the insecticides issue aalways thought tea was one of those i/p/cides free product.but like certain special teas to for those i use my dads army sieve egg,that holds the tea early version of tea bags .an you can reuse.but now you can buy the same off the net for loose teas.

[said]

pg are supposed to have always used bio bags.as a tea drinker was concerned,when heard about the plastics.now the insecticides issue aalways thought tea was one of those i/p/cides free product.but like certain special teas to for those i use my dads army sieve egg,that holds the tea early version of tea bags .an you can reuse.but now you can buy the same off the net for loose teas.

Ha!Ha! Looks very much like back to basics, doesn't it? Oh Well.