What's your take on artificially flavored teas?

Such as Teavana and David’s Tea?
Do you think they are harmful?

9 Replies
AllanK said

Just because it artificial doesn’t mean it’s harmful and just because it’s natural doesn’t mean it’s healthy. It really depends on what the artificial ingredient is. I also don’t think that all of Teavana’s or David’s Teas contain artificial ingredients.

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They do not but most of them do.

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MrQuackers said

Just in terms of chemistry, there is no difference between artificial flavouring and natural flavouring. They are chemically the same.

Now whether you want flavouring is another matter.

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andresito said

This is worth reading in its entirety, and reading some of the links and references too. http://www.ewg.org/foodscores/content/natural-vs-artificial-flavors

andresito said

Regarding tea…one of the sought after qualities is a long lasting aftertaste. Flavored foods are intentionally created to have a shorter aftertaste so you’ll eat/drink more, thus buy more of the product. If you get 1 steep out of 1 teabag, its designed that way. So you have to buy lots of teabags, right? A different approach to the same subject on flavorings, but something else to consider.

Here’s a clip from 60 Minutes about the flavoring industry, interesting and worth a watch.
https://youtu.be/a7Wh3uq1yTc

Most notably:

Food products are flavored to increase sales by making mouthwatering tastes, making packaged food taste fresh, giving a processed food a bolder taste than a comparable natural food and making the taste short-lived so that you eat more. In a 2011 interview with Morley Safer of 60 Minutes, two flavor scientists from Givaudan said that one of their goals was making food addictive.

(Givaudan) Streich: In our fruit flavors we’re talking about, we want a burst in the beginning. And maybe a finish that doesn’t linger too much so that you want more of it.
(Givaudan) Hassel: And you don’t want a long linger, because you’re not going to eat more of it if it lingers.
(60 Minutes) Safer: Aha. So I see, it’s going to be a quick fix. And then—
(Givaudan) Hassel: Have more.
(60 Minutes) Safer: And then have more. But that suggests something else?
(Givaudan) Hassel: Exactly.
(60 Minutes) Safer: Which is called addiction?
(Givaudan) Hassel: Exactly.
(60 Minutes) Safer: You’re tryin’ to create an addictive taste?
(Givaudan) Hassel: That’s a good word.

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MrQuackers said

60 minutes isn’t exactly responsible journalism… just saying

andresito said

I guess everyone’s entitled to their opinion. The video is simply documenting the article I also posted from EWG. SO you could see for yourself Givaudan employees saying “maybe a finish that doesn’t linger too much so that you want more of it” and “you don’t want a long linger, because you’re not going to eat more of it if it lingers” lol…guess you’d rather attack the source, and not trust your own eyes and ears? But I think what I posted is relevant to the OP’s question.

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dreamtea said

There’s more harmful things in this world than artificial flavorings. I say if you like the tea then drink it. I love Teavana.

andresito said

there’s always something ‘more harmful’, but dismissing lesser harmful things when you have the choice to avoid them and choose an alternative, nothing wrong with a consumer questioning whats in their foods and if its safe, at low or high doses.

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