Customer Question: I forgot about some tea I bought and found it 2 years later—it’s already past the expiration date. Can I still drink tea that has been stored for too long? It was vacuum-sealed when I bought it.
Chang-Hsing’s Reply: The expiration date on packaged tea is typically 2 years. This follows the standard set by the Bureau of Standards, Metrology and Inspection, representing the “ultimate deadline for commercially packaged foods to maintain product quality under specific storage conditions.” However, tea generally has a moisture content below 3%. If vacuum-sealed and stored in a good environment, it can theoretically be kept for a long time.
In fact, some teas actually become more fragrant over time when stored properly. For example, Chinese Pu-erh tea and Taiwan’s aged black teas in recent years are cases where aged tea is even more popular than fresh tea. These are usually fully fermented or semi-fermented teas; green teas, on the other hand, are not recommended for long-term storage.
Keep in mind, though, that not just any tea improves with age. If not stored correctly, some teas will lose flavor or go bad, tasting pretty much like spoiled tea.
If you have a tin of tea at home that you forgot to open, don’t throw it out just yet. Open it up and inspect the leaves first. If there is mold or a sour, rancid smell, then the tea is not suitable for drinking. If the packaging is intact, and the tea leaves have a slightly sweet, tangy aroma and look good, who knows—the tea might not only be fine, but even better in quality!