Food Safety Corner: Iced Tea

We love our tea, whether it's freshly brewed hot tea, or a cool refreshing iced tea on a hot summer day. But it turns out that storing brewed teas at room temperature can actually be a problem for food safety.

Like most plant derived foods, dry tea leaves can contain low levels of bacteria, yeast and mold. If you brew it at an improper temperature, or store it at room temperature for long periods of time, these low levels can grow to dangerous levels (Remember that bacteria double every 20 minutes in the Temperature Danger Zone). Also, pitchers and kettles that have not been properly cleaned and sanitized can help promote the growth of these microorganisms. Like many people, if you leave the kettle on the stove and just fill it up when you want a fresh cup of tea, you could be putting yourself at risk. (read more)


gilded fork, food, safety, iced tea