Drinking expired tea may not seem like a big deal, but it can actually pose some health risks. Tea leaves, like any other dried food, can grow mold and bacteria over time. Consuming expired tea puts you at risk of food poisoning and other illnesses. However, the seriousness of these risks depends on just how expired the tea is.
How long does brewed tea last?
Brewed tea has a relatively short shelf life compared to dried tea leaves. The shelf life depends on a few factors:
- Storage temperature – Tea stored at room temperature will expire faster than tea refrigerated.
- Sugar and lemon – Adding sugar or lemon cuts the shelf life as these ingredients can spoil.
- Tight seal – Tea in an airtight container will last longer than tea exposed to air.
Under optimal conditions (refrigerated, no sugar/lemon, air-tight container), brewed tea will last up to 5 days. At room temperature, brewed tea is only good for about 8 hours.
How long do dried tea leaves last?
Loose-leaf teas and tea bags have a much longer shelf life than prepared tea. Properly stored, they can last 12-18 months past the printed expiration date. Tea leaves on their own contain very little moisture, which limits mold growth. As long as they are kept cool, dark, and dry, dried teas will remain safe to consume for quite some time after expiring.
Note that expiration dates on tea packages are very conservative to ensure freshness and full flavor. So even 1-2 years past the date, dried tea is unlikely to pose any health risks. However, the flavor and aroma will slowly degrade over time.
What happens if you drink expired tea?
If brewed tea has been left out too long or stored improperly, it may grow mold or bacteria. Consuming moldy tea can cause allergic reactions, upset stomach, and respiratory irritation. Bacterial contaminants like staphylococcus or bacillus cereus can lead to food poisoning symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea.
Molds can produce mycotoxins, poisonous compounds that are not destroyed by heating. Mycotoxin exposure can have both acute and chronic health effects. Thankfully, mold growth on brewed tea is usually visible, so you can easily avoid consuming contaminated tea.
Expired dried tea is less risky, but can also cause problems if stored improperly. Signs of mold or moisture damage mean dried tea should be discarded. Consuming moldy dried tea may cause similar gastrointestinal and respiratory issues.
How to tell if tea is expired
Here are some signs that tea has spoiled and should be discarded:
- Brewed tea – Cloudiness, sliminess, particles floating around
- Dried tea bags – Discoloration, dampness, strange odor
- Loose leaf tea – Visible mold, clumping, loss of aroma
If the tea smells normal and shows no signs of contamination, it is likely still safe to consume. Use your best judgment – when in doubt, throw it out.
Does expired tea make you sick?
Drinking expired tea may cause illness if it has become moldy or bacteria-ridden. The health risks depend on:
- Type of contaminant – Mold species, bacteria strains, and toxins vary in toxicity.
- Amount consumed – More contaminated tea = greater exposure.
- Individual sensitivity – Those with allergies or compromised immunity may get sicker.
Health effects can range from mild stomach upset to severe infections. Mycotoxins can seriously damage liver, kidneys, and brain over time. People with asthma may have severe allergic reactions to moldy tea.
Can expired tea make you vomit or cause diarrhea?
Yes, contaminated expired tea can definitely cause gastrointestinal distress including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach cramps.
Bacteria like staphylococcus aureus and bacillus cereus are common culprits. Their toxins irritate the stomach lining and intestines, causing vomiting and diarrhea that may last 24-48 hours.
Mold can also irritate the digestive tract in some people. Vomiting and diarrhea help quickly expel the toxins before they are further absorbed.
What bacteria can grow in expired tea?
Tea is susceptible to both bacterial and fungal contamination as it expires:
- Bacillus cereus – Causes diarrhea and vomiting
- Staphylococcus aureus – Can produce intestinal toxins
- Escherichia coli – Some strains cause severe food poisoning
- Salmonella – Causes diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps
- Clostridium botulinum – Causes flaccid paralysis if toxin ingested
- Penicillium – A mold that produces mycotoxins
- Aspergillus – Mold that may cause allergic reactions
Not all strains of the above bacteria are harmful. But contamination becomes more likely as tea expires past its shelf life.
Can expired tea give you food poisoning?
Yes, food poisoning is one of the main risks of drinking contaminated expired tea. Bacteria like staphylococcus aureus and bacillus cereus are common tea contaminants that can cause severe gastrointestinal distress.
Symptoms of food poisoning from expired tea may include:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Abdominal cramps and pain
- Fever
- Chills
- Headaches
- Fatigue
These symptoms often start within 30 minutes to 8 hours of ingesting the expired tea. Food poisoning usually resolves on its own within 24-48 hours as the toxins leave your body. Seek medical treatment if symptoms are severe or last more than 3 days.
Can you get botulism from expired tea?
Botulism is very unlikely to occur from expired tea. This severe paralytic illness is caused by the toxin produced by Clostridium botulinum bacteria. This bacteria requires an airless environment to grow and produce the botulinum toxin.
Loose tea leaves and tea bags are not air-tight and do not provide an anaerobic environment for Clostridium botulinum to thrive. Even vacuum-packed tea contains enough air to prevent optimal botulinum growth.
So while many types of bacteria can grow in expired tea, botulinum growth and subsequent botulism illness is very rare from contaminated tea.
How long do the effects of drinking expired tea last?
If you develop food poisoning or an allergic reaction from expired tea, the effects usually don’t last more than 24-48 hours. Symptoms like diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain tend to resolve on their own once the contaminated tea is out of your system.
More severe effects like respiratory distress from mold exposure or botulinum toxin paralysis require immediate medical treatment. If the expired tea contained certain mycotoxins, you may need extended treatment to prevent liver, kidney, or brain damage.
In otherwise healthy individuals, drinking expired tea may cause at most a few days of misery before the body recovers. But those with compromised immunity or chronic health conditions should see a doctor, as they may experience more severe and lasting illness.
Can expired tea kill you?
It is highly unlikely that drinking expired tea would directly cause death in otherwise healthy adults. More likely risks include temporary food poisoning, allergic reactions, and possibly mold toxicity if large quantities consumed chronically.
The biggest concern is Clostridium botulinum bacteria, which can produce deadly botulinum neurotoxin. However, as mentioned earlier, the airless environment botulism spores need to produce the toxin is very unlikely to occur in expired tea products.
Certain molds like Aspergillus flavus can produce aflatoxins and other mycotoxins that are carcinogenic and can damage internal organs. Chronic exposure to high levels of these toxins may indirectly lead to mortality through liver cirrhosis or cancer.
So in summary, expired tea is very unlikely to directly cause immediate death. But it can make you very sick, especially those with weakened immune systems, asthma, or mold allergies.
Is it safe to drink expired iced tea?
Because of its higher moisture content, brewed iced tea actually has a shorter shelf life than hot tea. Keep iced tea refrigerated and drink within 2 days for best safety and flavor.
When stored properly, iced tea can last up to 5 days past its brew date before mold growth and bacterial contamination become risky. As the tea expires, it will quickly deteriorate in taste, color, and aroma.
If drinking expired iced tea, inspect it carefully. Discard if you see any signs of cloudiness, slime formation, particles, or strange smells. Never drink expired iced tea that has been left unrefrigerated.
In general, expired iced tea should be avoided. But if consumed immediately after refrigerated storage, it likely poses minimal health risks in otherwise healthy adults.
Does expired tea have less antioxidants?
Yes, expired tea gradually loses its concentrations of health-promoting antioxidants like polyphenols and catechins.
These compounds are what give tea its characteristic bitter flavor. As the tea ages past its expiration date, it will taste less bitter and astringent.
A study measuring antioxidant concentrations over time found that brewed black tea retained about 85% of initial catechin levels after 8 hours at room temperature. After 24 hours, only 75% of antioxidants remained.
So while expired tea still retains some antioxidants, steeped tea can lose 15-25% of its original antioxidant levels within a day. The degradation is faster at higher temperatures and lower for refrigerated tea.
For maximum antioxidant benefit, brew tea in small batches and drink while fresh. But even expired tea provides some polyphenols, so it still has health benefits over sugary beverages.
Does expired tea have less caffeine?
No, expired tea bags and leaves retain their original caffeine content regardless of age. Caffeine is very stable and does not degrade or evaporate over time.
A tea’s caffeine level is more affected by steeping time than freshness. The longer you steep the tea, the more caffeine that leaches out into the water.
Brewing leads to some loss of antioxidants, but has minimal impact on caffeine content. So expired tea may have fewer polyphenols than fresh tea, but contains just as much stimulative caffeine.
Those sensitive to caffeine may want to limit consumption of very old teas, especially if steeping longer to extract more flavor from the expired leaves. But caffeine levels remain constant in properly stored dried tea.
Are tea dust and fannings lower quality?
Tea dust and fannings refer to the tiny particles and leaf fragments left over after higher grade whole tea leaves are harvested and processed. The smallest bits are called dust, while slightly larger pieces are termed fannings.
Fannings and dust contain the same components as full leaves – catechins, polyphenols, and caffeine. However they tend to produce a quicker but weaker brew. The high surface area allows for very fast infusion, but also herbal extraction.
Many teabags contain broken leaves and fannings as they provide strong flavor with minimal steeping time. However, the tea may taste more astringent and bitter compared to whole leaf. For highest quality flavor, larger loose leaves are preferred.
For health purposes, dusts and fannings offer similar benefits to whole leaves. But connoisseurs dislike the gritty mouthfeel and brisk taste of tiny tea particles. Black teas and robust blends are best suited to mask defects of small leaf fragments.
Does expired tea still work for kombucha brewing?
Kombucha is a fermented tea-based beverage valued for its probiotics and antioxidants. It requires tea along with sugar and a SCOBY starter culture.
But can you brew healthy kombucha using expired tea as the base?
The answer is yes – kombucha fermentation can actually help mask defects from oxidized, older tea. However very moldy or contaminated tea should still be avoided.
Here are some tips for brewing kombucha with expired tea:
- Use black tea – The bold flavor stands up to degradation better than green tea
- Brew longer – Extract more tannins, antioxidants, and flavor from stale leaves
- Add lemon – Helps mask musty flavors
- 2F with juice – Fruity second ferment improves kombucha from old tea
- Watch acidity – Old tea may be less acidic, so monitor pH carefully
The microbes and fermentation process will alter the final character of the kombucha. So as long as mold is avoided, you can make tasty kombucha from expired tea.
Conclusion
Drinking expired tea is generally safe, but comes with some risks especially if the tea is moldy or contaminated. Brewed tea lasts about 5 days refrigerated, while dried tea bags and leaves stay good for 12-24 months stored properly.
Look for visible mold, clumping, moisture, and odd smells before steeping expired tea. Discard tea that seems overly damp or funky.
Consuming very expired tea may result in temporary digestive upset or food poisoning if bacteria is present. Allergic reactions can occur from mold exposure. However, these symptoms resolve quickly once the tea is out its your system.
While not ideal, drinking mildly expired tea is unlikely to cause lasting harm in healthy adults. Be aware of any changes in odor, appearance, or flavor and err on the side of caution.
