The shocking health risks of bubble tea…
Sorry to burst your bubble, but you may want to give this stylish drink a second thought.
Bubble tea, also recognized as boba or pearl milk tea, originated in Taiwan in the Nineteen Eighties and is usually made with tea, milk or creamer, sweetener and, of course, their signature tapioca pearls.
The Instagram-worthy beverage has gained reputation worldwide — but security checks from Consumer Reports revealed that there is perhaps trigger for concern.
The tapioca boba pearls are made from cassava, a root vegetable. ÃâþÃâ¬Ã¸Ã Ã¯Ãâ õýúþ – stock.adobe.com
Bubble tea, also recognized as boba or pearl milk tea, originated in Taiwan in the Nineteen Eighties. ChenPG – stock.adobe.com
Those chewy tapioca morsels — the main function of the beloved drink — are made from cassava, a root vegetable.
Lead is of course discovered in the crust of the Earth, and there’s vital lead contamination in a lot of the world’s soil — and many fruits and greens take in heavy metals since they’re grown in soil.
Consumer Reports just lately found that cassava-based merchandise sometimes had very high lead ranges, so the specialists examined boba pearls, too
After testing the pearls from bubble teas at two in style chains, Gong Cha and Kung Fu Tea, as nicely as two packaged boba merchandise from Trader Joe’s and WuFuYuan, they found that every pattern contained lead.
Luckily, none examined above CR’s degree of concern for lead, and none had ranges of arsenic, cadmium or mercury that could be a health risk in one serving.
After testing the pearls from bubble teas at two in style chains as nicely as two packaged boba merchandise, they found that every pattern contained lead. makistock – stock.adobe.com
“These levels weren’t so high that we’d tell people to completely avoid bubble tea,” James E. Rogers, PhD, director of food security research and testing at CR, said in a assertion.
“However, while this wasn’t a comprehensive look at the boba and bubble tea market, the fact that three out of the four boba samples contained more than 50 percent of our level of concern for lead in one serving is a good reason to treat it as an occasional treat, not an everyday staple.”
Other merchandise CR examined for lead, such as cassava flours and snacks, darkish chocolate and child food, exceeded the extent of concern, so in comparability the boba tea isn’t as a lot of a hazard — though it’s still important to acknowledge that any publicity to lead will be thought-about unsafe.
Luckily, none of the samples examined above CR’s degree of concern for lead. 9nong – stock.adobe.com
“It’s hard to avoid being exposed to some lead. It’s found in varying amounts in food, drinking water, soil, and many homes,” Rogers said.
“The health risks come from repeated or continuous exposure over time. But small amounts add up and, in the long run, may have health effects. That’s why it’s prudent to minimize your exposure to known sources of lead when you can.”
When Consumer Reports contacted the 4 firms of the boba they examined, Trader Joe’s said that it had discontinued its Instant Boba Kit.
Jason Tsou, General Manager at WuFuYuan’s dad or mum company, Shanghai ZhouShi Foodstuffs, explained that the company works with an accredited lab to check for lead, and after these findings, they carried out a stricter normal.
“We take the safety of our products very seriously, and your outreach has prompted us to further improve our existing quality control measures,” Tsou said.
Gong Cha and Kung Fu Tea didn’t reply to CR’s request for remark.
Stay in the loop with the latest trending topics! Visit our web site daily for the freshest lifestyle news and content, thoughtfully curated to inspire and inform you.