Frankfurt/Main (dpa/tmn) – Anyone who pours himself a nice cup of hot tea is convinced that he is doing something good for himself – and above all something healthy. The magazine “Öko-Test” (issue 11/2023) discovered that this is not always the case.

She reports a whole cocktail of pesticides, some of which are contained in an infusion of black tea leaves. These include not only the controversial herbicide glyphosate, but also agents such as thiacloprid, clothianidin, propargit and dicofol. Not only do they look unappetizing, but they are also classified as questionable or even potentially carcinogenic.

The “Öko-Test” laboratory detected a total of twelve pesticides in 24 black teas.

Cultivation prohibited here, authorized in the product

“Half of them are banned in our crops. In other countries with more lax regulations, however, they are still sprayed and end up in our cups,” write the eco-testers. They also worry about the fate of those who have to spray toxins on tea plantations in India, Sri Lanka, Malawi, etc.

Since pesticides were not tested in the brew but in the tea leaves, the testers limit that only traces can be found in the tea itself when diluted with water . “However, the interaction between different traces of pesticides has so far been little studied,” he continues. Five teas received the worst “unsatisfactory” rating in the study.

And what does this mean for black tea lovers?

With one exception, organic teas are generally a good choice. Because sprayed chemical-synthetic poisons are prohibited during their cultivation. A Naturland certification or a combination of organic and fair trade products is also a good guide when purchasing, according to “Öko-Test”.

There are two “very good” test winners for which the eco-testers found no problems with either the ingredients or the cultivation. These are loose organic teas: “Lebensbaum Assam Schwarztee Broken fort-malté” (4.79 euros per 100 g) and “Tee Gschwendner Darjeeling FTGFOP1 Pussimbing First Flush” (13.80 euros per 100 g).

© dpa-infocom, dpa:231018-99-612425/3