Caffeine levels in tea drinks such as matcha and green tea lattes and milk tea sold at franchise cafes were found to vary by up to four times depending on the product. Some products have higher caffeine content than an Americano, leading to a recommendation that consumers who need to be cautious about caffeine intake, such as pregnant women, adjust how much they drink.
The Korea Consumer Agency (KCA) on the 28th released test results on the quality and safety of 12 tea drinks sold at franchise cafes including MEGA MGC COFFEE, PAIK'S COFFEE, Starbucks, and EDIYA COFFEE. Those surveyed were six matcha and green tea lattes and six milk teas.
The tests found caffeine content per cup ranged from 45–172 mg, showing wide differences among products. The highest and lowest products differed by up to four times in caffeine. In particular, two milk tea products sold by Starbucks and A TWOSOME PLACE were found to have higher caffeine content than one Americano.
The agency said that if a pregnant woman drinks two cups of tea with high caffeine content a day, she could approach or exceed the maximum recommended daily intake of 300 mg of caffeine.
Saturated fat content was 5.0–11.9 g per cup. That is up to 79% of the daily nutrient reference value. Drinking multiple cups can quickly increase intake of sugars and saturated fat, so caution is needed.
Prices ranged from 3,500–6,100 won per cup, a difference of up to 1.7 times. Among matcha and green tea lattes, MEGA MGC COFFEE green tea latte and COMPOSE COFFEE green tea latte were the cheapest at 3,500 won each. Starbucks Jeju matcha latte was the most expensive at 6,100 won. Among milk teas, PAIK'S COFFEE milk tea was the lowest at 3,500 won, while Starbucks classic milk tea was the highest at 6,100 won.
The level of content volume control also varied by product. The actual beverage volume deviation ranged from at least 36 mL to as much as 119 mL, depending on the product. MEGA MGC COFFEE royal milk tea latte was found to have a maximum of 443 mL and a minimum of 324 mL, the largest variation.
In safety tests, three types of pesticide residues and metallic foreign substances were not detected in any product. Preservatives and tar dyes were all within acceptable standards.
The agency said, "When choosing tea drinks, it is necessary to carefully compare caffeine and sugar content, price, and other factors."