Consumer center warns of bubble tea - critical content is underestimated

Created: 08/16/2022, 11:51 am

By: Lena Zschirpe

Bubble tea has been on everyone's lips again for months.

But how healthy or unhealthy is the drink?

A new warning from the consumer center is loud.

Dortmund – The bubble tea has been back for many months.

The drinks come in different flavors, are partly based on black tea or green tea and are also popular with children.

The latter could be due to the sweet balls that sometimes burst in the mouth.

But the consumer center warns of the cult drink, as RUHR24 reports.

Bubble tea too unhealthy?

Consumer center warns of the drink

The hype in Germany is not completely new.

The drink, which originally came from Southeast Asia, was already popular in this country about ten years ago.

However, the rush abated significantly when the Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule (RWTH) determined that the drinks posed a health risk.

This danger has long since been refuted, but bubble tea providers in Germany were a rarity for a long time.

But now the drink is more common again – and criticism is being raised again.

But this time from the consumer center.

Bubble tea - what is the drink actually?

Bubble tea is usually made up of several components.

The basis usually consists of green or black tea, milk or a fruit tea.

In addition, there is often syrup in fruity flavors.

The third ingredient in the drink are the sweet "bubbles".

They are also called bobas.

Bubble tea can be served both cold and hot.

Consumer advice center warns of bubble tea - drink is too unhealthy

According to the consumer center, consumers should be aware that bubble tea contains a lot of sugar and therefore calories due to its composition.

A cup can contain between 300 and 500 calories and thus almost make up the energy content of a main meal.

The word of advice: think of bubble tea as a high-calorie snack rather than a tea or complementary drink.

Although the energy density is very high, bubble tea cannot replace a healthy meal, the association warns.

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Lots of caffeine in bubble tea: consumer center warns against consumption by children

Furthermore, the consumer center points out that the drink can contain higher amounts of caffeine.

This is particularly treacherous because bubble tea is often served in larger portions than normal black tea.

Children and adolescents should be particularly careful when consuming caffeine.

But: this problem mainly occurs with bubble tea based on green or black tea, such as matcha or oolong.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recommends that children and young people should not consume more than 3 mg of caffeine per kilogram of body weight per day.

A cup of black tea with around 200 milliliters contains about 45 milligrams of caffeine, a green tea about half of it.

The consumer center warns of bubble tea.

© Yay Images/Imago

A black tea-based bubble tea with around 700 milliliters could quickly contain more than 150 milligrams of caffeine (read more recalls and warnings at RUHR24).

Balls in bubble tea can be swallowed: consumer center warns

The consumer advice center is also apparently concerned about the additives and allergens in bubble teas.

Dyes and preservatives or milk are not well tolerated by all consumers.

But: These substances must be labeled accordingly by the suppliers of bubble tea.

Finally, the club warns of the so-called bubbles, which could possibly be swallowed.

This is particularly important for children under the age of four, as the beads could get into the lungs if swallowed.

The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) and the consumer advice center would therefore like bubble tea providers to attach a clearly visible notice to this health risk.

So far, however, such a notice is not a rule.