Family, it is best to drink milk tea within 2 hours! Otherwise...

Milk tea is a popular drink in modern life. It not only tastes rich but also makes people feel relaxed and happy. As the weather gets hotter, milk tea consumption has also reached a peak.

People who often buy milk tea must have seen words such as "Please drink as soon as possible", "Drink within 2 hours", "Drink within 1 hour" printed on many milk tea packages . Some store clerks will also remind you to "Drink as soon as possible, otherwise it will affect the taste."

So does milk tea really have to be consumed within “2 hours”? Here’s the answer first: For freshly made milk tea, it’s best to drink it as soon as possible, preferably within 2 hours.

What's in milk tea?

Milk tea, as the name suggests, is a beverage made mainly of milk and tea.

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Milk tea is usually made from tea leaves and milk. Nowadays, in order to adjust the taste, sugar, cream, cheese, fruit, creamer and other flavorings are added to make its taste more diverse and meet the taste needs of different people.

Milk : The most common ones are cow's milk, but there are also those with added cream, non-dairy cream, and cheese.

Tea : black tea, green tea, pure tea, etc. are all fine, and you can also add various tea powders.

Sugar : Some are made with white sugar, some are made with fructose syrup, and recently some are made with sugar substitutes, such as erythritol, aspartame, etc.

Salt : Some traditional milk teas in Inner Mongolia taste salty, and salt is added during the production process.

· Fruits: Many milk teas are also added with various fresh fruits, such as strawberries, grapes, mangoes, etc., which will also make the milk tea sweeter.

How long should you drink milk tea?

How long does it take to finish a cup of milk tea? 1 hour or 2 hours? From the perspective of safety and taste, 2 hours is a good choice.

1

Safety

Milk tea has a good taste. It contains nutrients such as protein, fat, and sugar, which are also loved by many microorganisms in the environment. If a cup of freshly made milk tea is placed outside without any protection, it will attract various microorganisms. If milk tea is stored for too long, various bacteria and microorganisms may grow and multiply in large numbers, thus causing food safety hazards.

If food is left outside, bacteria will grow, and the growth rate has a lot to do with temperature. In food safety, we usually think that 5℃~60℃ is the dangerous temperature zone . Within this temperature range, bacteria will multiply rapidly and accelerate food spoilage . As you can see, this is basically the temperature of our daily environment.

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The time that food can be safely kept between 5°C and 60°C is subject to the 4 hour/2 hour rule , meaning that food that has been in the temperature danger zone for no more than 2 hours (including preparation, storage and display) can be returned to the refrigerator (kept below 5°C) or reheated (heated to above 60°C) and taken out again later. However, the total time that food has been in the temperature danger zone must not exceed 4 hours.

This means that if it is not processed in any way (not sealed or refrigerated), it is best to eat it within 2 hours ; if it exceeds 2 hours, it is best to refrigerate or reheat it before eating; if it exceeds 4 hours, try not to eat it.

Therefore, from the perspective of food safety, it makes sense to drink milk tea within 2 hours . If you can’t finish it, put it in the refrigerator. If it is left outside for more than 4 hours, it is best not to drink it.

2

Taste

In addition to food safety considerations, taste is also very important. After all, many of us spend more than ten or even dozens of yuan to buy a cup of milk tea, isn’t it just for it to taste good?

When you buy a cup of freshly brewed milk tea, it tastes the best, and the various flavors of tea, milk, fruit, etc. can be fully displayed and are in the best state. However, over time, the ingredients in the milk tea will change and the flavor will slowly be lost.

First, the tea polyphenols in the tea will gradually oxidize and decompose, causing the tea aroma to weaken, and the flavor of milk and fruit will gradually fade. These changes will make the taste of milk tea bland and lose its original flavor and taste.

Secondly, as time goes by, the temperature of the milk tea outside will also change, especially in the hot summer now, when the temperature outside is around 30 or 40 degrees. The temperature of iced milk tea will gradually increase, while the temperature of hot milk tea will gradually decrease.

People still have different preferences for the temperature of iced milk tea and hot milk tea. Adding ice still has a great impact on everyone. People who order iced milk tea, of course, like the iced taste, but over time, the ice cubes will slowly melt, the temperature will rise, and the taste will naturally change. People generally prefer the taste of hot milk tea at around 50 degrees. Over time, the temperature is low, and they will feel that the taste is not good.

Therefore, in order to enjoy the drink, it should be finished as soon as possible. However, there is no exact timeline for the effect on the taste.

How to drink milk tea safely?

If you want to enjoy the delicious milk tea, remember to drink it as soon as possible after purchase to avoid storing it for too long.

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We also need to remind everyone that “please drink within 2 hours” is calculated from the time the milk tea is made. If you order it through takeout, the delivery time must be subtracted.

If the milk tea has been sealed and refrigerated at about 4°C, it can be safely consumed after more than 2 hours. If the milk tea has been opened or sucked through a straw, it is best to drink it within 2 hours; if you cannot finish it, put it in the refrigerator, and it is best to drink it as soon as possible. If it is left outside at room temperature for 2 hours before being put in the refrigerator, you still need to pay attention to whether it has any peculiar smell or has gone bad before drinking it.

**Of course, this is an ideal recommendation for food safety. It does not mean that drinking it within 4 hours will definitely cause food poisoning or diarrhea. It just means that the risk is greater. **In real life, the cost must also be considered. After all, many people are reluctant to throw it away, and it will also cause food waste.

Finally, I would like to advise everyone that although milk tea tastes good, don’t drink too much. After all, it is a food high in sugar and oil!

References

[1] Shi Zehuan, Sun Zhuo, Song Qi, et al. Nutrient composition of 122 commercially available milk teas in Shanghai[J]. Environmental and Occupational Medicine, 2023, 40(7): 756-760, 768; doi: 10.11836/JEOM22505

[2]2-hour / 4-hour rule - Food Standards Australia New Zealand https://www.foodstandards.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-10/2hour4hour_Final.pdf

[3] Su Xiaoqin, Song Pengpeng, Kong Junhao, et al. A preliminary study on the dynamic changes of microorganisms in freshly made black tea and milk tea after opening [J]. China Tea Processing, 2023(04): 51-56. DOI: 10.15905/j.zgcyjg.2095-0306.2023.04.06.

[4] Yang Haiyan, Yang Bo. Analysis and investigation of microbial status in freshly prepared and sold mixed beverages in Zhangye City[J]. Food Safety Guide, 2024(10):87-89.DOI:10.16043/j.cnki.cfs.2024.10.030.

[5] Yang Lu, Zhao Aifei, Zhu Junli. Investigation and analysis of microbial content in commercial milk tea drinks[J]. Journal of Anhui Agricultural Sciences, 2015, 43(1):4. DOI:10.3969/j.issn.0517-6611.2015.01.088.

[6]Yang C, Cui C, Zhu Y, Xia X, Jin G, Liu C, Li Y, Xue X, Hou R. Effect of brewing conditions on the chemical and sensory profiles of milk tea. Food Chem 36185102; PMCID: PMC9516450.

[7] Ong AKS, Prasetyo YT, Libiran MADC, Lontoc YMA, Lunaria JAV, Manalo AM, Miraja BA, Young MN, Chuenyindee T, Persada SF, Perwira Redi AAN. Consumer Preference Analysis on Attributes of Milk Tea: A Conjoint Analysis Approach. Foods. 2021 Jun 15;10(6):1382. doi: 10.3390/foods10061382. PMID: 34203864; PMCID: PMC8232735.

[8]Abraham J, Diller K. A Review of Hot Beverage Temperatures-Satisfying Consumer Preference and Safety. J Food Sci. 2019 Aug;84(8):2011-2014. doi: 10.1111/1750-3841.14699. Epub 2019 Jul 11. PMID: 31294834.

Planning and production

Author: Ruan Guangfeng, Deputy Director of Kexin Food and Health Information Exchange Center

Review丨Zhang Yu, researcher/PhD, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, national health science expert

Planning丨Yinuo

Editor: Yinuo

Proofread by Xu Lai and Lin Lin

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