Costa tea has a shelf life of 100 years?! Expert: Unable to verify

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Recently, some consumers reported to Zhongxin Jingwei that the Costa organic Pu 'er tea (cooked tea) they purchased on the e-commerce platform showed that its shelf life was actually 100 years.

Judging from the pictures provided by the parties concerned, the packaging box of this tea leaves marked its production date as October 1, 2025, and the shelf life expiration date as October 1, 2125. The time span is as long as 100 years, causing consumers to question, I don't understand whether such a long shelf life is a mistake in product packaging and printing or whether this tea can indeed be stored for a long time.

In response to feedback from netizens, the reporter consulted the customer service of the e-commerce platform Costa Coffee Flagship Store as a consumer. The customer service said that this product is a tea cake, and "the longer the tea lasts, the more fragrant it becomes." As for whether it can really be stored for 100 years, customer service said that tea leaves can be stored for a long time if they are properly stored (protected from light and room temperature).

Regarding how to determine the shelf life date of tea and whether there is relevant experimental certification, the customer service only stated that the date on the package shall prevail, and the tea cake can be stored for a long time. When the reporter asked if there was a typographical error in the packaging, the customer service said that the specific label on the (packaging) received shall prevail. In addition, the reporter repeatedly called the contact number on the tea packaging box, reminding that "the user is busy."

Interestingly, the 21 News reporter consulted the brand's official flagship store as a consumer, and the customer service responded that the Pu 'er tea products reported by consumers had been removed from the shelves. However, on an e-commerce platform, there is still a Costa store selling Pu 'er tea products. The shelf life is displayed as 9999 days, which will exceed 27 years if converted into years.

The reporter consulted the store's customer service, and the customer service initially stated that "Pu 'er tea will age after being stored for a long time, and the more fragrant it becomes," and did not directly answer the specific storage period. After repeated questioning by reporters, the customer service said,"It can be kept for about 3 to 5 years. Depending on the storage environment, it can be stored for a longer time."

According to a reporter's investigation, the outer packaging of most Pu 'er tea products on the market generally marks the shelf life as "long-term storage." Some will state that the shelf life is "suitable for long-term storage under meeting storage conditions." According to industry sources,"suitable for long-term storage" means that tea can be stored under suitable storage conditions. As long as it does not mold or deteriorate, it can be brewed and drunk.

Experts said in an interview that the country currently does not have unified regulations on the shelf life of tea. Different teas implement different standards. The shelf life of special teas such as Pu 'er tea is relatively longer."The public's perception of Pu' er tea is 'the more fragrant it becomes,' But from a scientific point of view, if Pu 'er tea is fermented for too long or stored improperly, it can easily cause mildew and pose certain food safety hazards."

Therefore, in the opinion of experts, the "shelf life of 100 years" is more like a marketing gimmick that cannot be verified and has high food safety risks."Let alone 100 years, some tea leaves have turned into tea cream after decades."

In addition, lawyers stated that the national standard GB/T 22111-2008 "Geographical Indication Products Pu 'er Tea" clearly states that "it is suitable for long-term storage under storage conditions that meet this standard" rather than a fixed number of years. 100 years is a specific time limit, which conflicts with the qualitative expression of "long-term preservation" and does not meet the labeling requirements of the standard.

At the same time, the "shelf life of 100 years" far exceeds the controllable safety and quality period generally recognized by the food industry. It is impossible to always meet food safety and quality requirements within 100 years through scientific verification. According to the regulations, the prerequisite for long-term storage is "compliance with storage conditions.", long-term storage is difficult to ensure that the conditions are met, and labeling a fixed number of years will ignore this premise and believe that it should not be labeled as such.

Picture from: Internet

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