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Green tea has long been hailed as a healthy drink and a great remedy for weight loss, gaining immense popularity. However, the Hong Kong Consumer Council found that some bottled green tea drinks on the market contain even more calories than cola!
Kwok Lam-kwong, Chairman of the Hong Kong Consumer Council's Promotion and Community Relations Committee, stated that the council tested 30 bottled green tea samples sold in Hong Kong to measure their total sugar, sucrose, and preservative benzoic and sorbic acid content. The results revealed that most bottled green teas contain added sugar.
Among the 30 samples, 14 were found to contain sugar, ranging from 0.4% to 9.2%, which largely matched the labels. However, the sugar content of Uni-President's bottled ice green tea (lemon-flavored green tea drink) was found to be as high as 9.2%, with a calorie count of 184 kcal, higher than a can (355 ml) of cola. A nutritionist described the excessive sugar content in such drinks as "very serious," noting that not only does it not aid in weight loss, but it may also lead to "gaining more weight the more you drink." It is particularly harmful for people with diabetes.
In response, Kwok Lam-kwong also reminded consumers that products labeled "sugar-free," "low-sugar," and "less sweet" do not necessarily have a lower sugar content than samples without such claims. The Consumer Council also recommended that Hong Kong authorities establish relevant standards for product labeling to help consumers make informed choices according to their needs.
Lau Lai-yi, a registered nutritionist and a Hong Kong mind-body nutrition consultant, explained that a 500 ml bottle of green tea can dilute the sweetness, leading people to unknowingly consume excessive amounts of sugar: "The concentration isn't high, so many people don't find it very sweet and assume the sugar content is low." However, this green tea has about 184 kcal. If a person, after consuming their daily required calories, drinks one bottle every day, they could gain 4-9 kg in a year. "One bottle accounts for about 1/10 of a person's daily calorie intake, and on top of that, people often drink other beverages with their meals, which can easily lead to weight gain." She warned that excessive sugar intake can cause obesity and increase the risk of diabetes. Therefore, when thirsty, one should drink more water or use tea bags to brew tea instead.
Shen Hong, a National Level Tea Taster, stated that to obtain the nutrients in tea, it is best to drink freshly brewed tea. During the processing of bottled tea drinks, the content of nutrients like tea polyphenols decreases. Furthermore, the addition of sugar, sweeteners, and colorants—substances with no nutritional value—turns tea drinks into "empty calorie" beverages with extremely low nutritional value.