FAQs
General, Tea Related
Does tea contain caffeine?
Yes, tea (black, green, white and oolong) does contain caffeine, but at lower levels than other beverages like coffee. For example, a cup of black tea has about a quarter the caffeine of a cup of coffee, on average.
How much caffeine does tea contain?
Serving: 1 tea bag in 200 ml (7 oz) serving
- Green : 25-35 mg/serving
- White: : 25-30 mg/serving
- Oolong: 35 mg/serving
- Unflavoured black: 40-65 mg/serving
- Flavoured black: 35-45 mg/serving
Caffeine occurs naturally in tea and coffee. It is a crystalline compound that is a mild stimulant of the central nervous system. The amount of caffeine in tea varies due to conditions where and how the tea plant (Camellia Sinensis) is grown, such as seasons when the plant is harvested, soil conditions, quality of water and growing temperature, to name a few.
These values are for guidance only and they might vary depending on the amount of tea brewed in the tea bag, country of origin of the teas, and steep time. The longer the steep time for tea, the stronger the extraction of caffeine. Black tea is typically steeped for 5 minutes, Green tea is typically steeped for 2 minutes and White tea 1 minute. Additionally, the cup size or the amount of water does not affect the caffeine content.
Herbals like Peppermint and Camomile are naturally caffeine free because they do not come from the tea plant (Camellia Sinensis).
Is decaffeinated tea completely decaffeinated?
No, it is not possible to remove 100% of the caffeine from the tea plant. Decaffeinated teas contain residual amounts of caffeine, about 2mg per 200ml cup.
Does tea contain calories?
No, tea alone does not contain any calories.
Does tea contain gluten?
No, tea alone does not contain gluten.
Do Twinings products contain allergens?
No, Twinings products do not contain any of the major food allergens:
- Cereals containing gluten
- Crustaceans
- Mollusks
- Eggs
- Fish
- Peanuts
- Nuts ( except for Comfort which contains coconut)
- Soybeans
- Milk (except for Chai Latte K-Cup®)
- Celery
- Mustard
- Sesame
- Lupin
- Sulphur dioxide
- Soy Lecithin
- MSG
Is Twinings certified Kosher?
All tea bag and loose tea products sold in the US & Canada are certified Kosher by the London Beth Din. All K-Cup® tea products sold in the US & Canada are certified Kosher by Orthodox Union. Cold Infuse Blueberry, Apple and Blackcurrant, and the Cold Infuse Lemon, Orange and Ginger are not currently Kosher certified.
What is the decaffeinate process?
Twinings’ US and Canadian decaffeinated teas use a widely accepted method of decaffeination which is approved by the US and Canadian regulatory authorities. The tea leaf goes through a process in which it is moistened with water and/or steam. The moistened tea is then mixed with a substance, which removes the caffeine from the tea, and evaporates as the tea is dried.
Does Twinings donate to charitable causes?
Yes, Twinings is proud to support Save the Children and its work to develop sustainable projects that support tea-growing communities in China. From when the partnership launched in 2004 it has helped more than 650,000 children. Twinings is also proud supporter of Mercy Corps and its effort to improve sanitation across several tea estates in India. We take great pride in our role as a corporate leader by supporting these important community efforts.
Does Twinings use sustainable packaging?
We at Twinings are committed to working towards a solution to remove the cellophane from all of our packaging, however, due to the supply chain complexities involved, the solution is not immediate. If you require an immediate solution, please consider purchasing our Organics line, Wellness products or our 100-count items, which are not packaged in cellophane. We are also transitioning all of our traditional tea bags to a new type of paper that is completely plant-based and fully biodegradable when industrially composted.
Our premium hot and cold ‘mesh’ tea bags look as though they are made from plastic, but this is actually a corn-starch derived material that will also degrade when industrially composted. We are also working to transition our inner wrappers to a material that is fully recyclable. Furthermore, our new and innovative Cold Infuse product range is currently packed in a fully recyclable plastic jar. Both the lid and the jar are recyclable, and we currently have a project underway to review what alternative materials we could use to make this product even more sustainable.