In recent years, issues such as pesticide residues, lead, and excessive fluorine in tea have frequently made headlines, leaving people wondering whether they should drink tea. Academician Chen stated that claims about tea being unsafe are often exaggerated, and it can still be consumed with confidence.
There are basically no pesticide residues in tea water. Academician Chen explained that the state currently has strict regulations on the scope, dosage, and safety interval period for pesticide use. Before a pesticide is registered and used, it must undergo numerous experiments and meet requirements before it can be marketed. Additionally, random inspections in recent years have shown that the qualification rate for pesticide residues in tea has been above 97%. The most crucial point is that we drink tea water, not the tea leaves themselves. Currently, most pesticides applied to tea in China are fat-soluble and are difficult to dissolve during the steeping process.
Choose spring tea, black tea, and green tea. If you are still concerned about pesticide residues, it is recommended to choose spring tea, black tea, and green tea. Pests and diseases are severe from June to September, which are the main months for pesticide spraying. Spring tea that comes to market before this period has fewer pesticide residues. Green and black teas are mostly made from tender leaves, while oolong and dark teas are mostly made from older leaves. Since part of the pesticides in tea comes from spraying and part accumulates from the soil, the later the leaves are picked, the higher the pesticide residue content.
Frequent consumption of brick tea may lead to excessive fluorine. A moderate amount of fluorine helps prevent cavities, but an excessive amount can cause fluorosis. Green and black teas contain less fluorine than oolong and dark teas; for the same variety of tea, tender leaves have less than older leaves. People who do not often drink dark tea or oolong tea do not need to worry about excessive fluorine. However, some ethnic minorities who drink brick tea made from dark tea daily should be concerned about fluorine overdose.
The content of heavy metal lead varies by region. The lead in tea mainly comes from the soil, so its lead content varies by region. Currently, China stipulates that the limit value for lead in tea is 5 milligrams per kilogram, and the exceeding rate is generally below 2%. Overall, the level of lead residue in tea does not pose a threat to health.