What does the "Best By" date mean?
We want you to enjoy the best tea possible. We put the "Best By" date on our site to be open and honest with customers. Tea does not go bad. If you store tea properly, it will last a long time. Tea producers must label products to comply with USA and European Union laws. The "Best By" date is usually on the bottom of the box. The "Best By" date is placed on the box during the production process. Tea can safely be consumed after the "Best By" date. The "Best By" date is totally different than the "Use By" date. The "Use By" date means foods should not be consumed after this date.

I want to drink loose tea. Should I use a tea strainer or tea infuser?

Additionally, for the ecologically aware, the use of tea infusers or tea strainers helps the environment. With infusers or strainers, loose tea is used, which eliminates paper used in tea bags.

What is the effect of milk in tea?
Most tea drinkers have a cup of black tea with milk. Recent research may show that milk in tea reduces the health benefits.

Several recent studies show tea aids in protecting against cardiovascular disease. However, a new study from Germany shows that tea's protection against cardviovasuclar disease is reduced when milk is added to tea.

Reported in the European Heart Journal, the German study tracked 16 women with an average age 59. The group was given 2 cups of black tea without milk, 2 cups of black tea with milk or 2 cups of boiled water.

When participants drank 2 cup of black tea without milk, they expereinced a 400% increase in flow-mediated dilation (FMV). FMV is the ability of the artery to relax and expand to accommodate increased blood flow. , thus cardiovascular function increased.

When the group drank tea with milk, they had no more increase in FMV than if they consumed 2 cups of hot water.

Possible reasons for these findings are that several of the proteins in milk may join with flavonoids in tea to form complexes which nullify the cardiovascular benefits of tea.

“Milk may counteract the favorable health effects of tea on vascular function,” the authors said.

Please note that is a small, preliminary study and findings must be confirmed by larger studies. Still, reserch has shown that tea has many positive health benefits.