In recent days, netizens have been posting pictures of “the first cup of milk tea in autumn”, but there have also been persistent rumours online that “the caffeine in one cup of milk tea is equivalent to seven cans of Red Bull”, “the caffeine in one cup of milk tea is equivalent to four cups of coffee”, “milk tea causes insomnia” and “one cup of milk tea keeps you awake until dawn”. These claims have caused consumer concern. According to the “Survey of Chinese Consumers’ Caffeine Awareness and Attitudes (2023)” conducted by the Kexin Food and Health Information Communication Center, 52.15% of people are unaware that tea contains caffeine.
Half of consumers are unaware that tea contains caffeine
Tea is a traditional Chinese drink. According to statistics from the China Tea Marketing Association, the total domestic sales of tea in China in 2022 was 2.3975 million tons. The results of “Dietary Caffeine Intake Levels and Risk Assessment of Chinese Residents” show that in China, for adult consumers, the top contributors to caffeine intake are tea, tea drinks, milk tea and coffee; tea contributes 74.80% of caffeine intake for Chinese consumers, which is much higher than other categories. For minors, the top contributors to caffeine intake are milk tea, tea drinks, tea and chocolate.
However, the consumer survey showed that 52.15% of people did not know that tea contains caffeine. In this regard, Zhong Kai, director of the Kexin Food and Health Information Communication Center, said that tea and coffee are both popular caffeine drinks worldwide. For reasons of “reading between the lines”, when it comes to caffeine, consumers easily associate it with coffee, but “drinking tea to stay awake” is also the effect of caffeine. In fact, tea and milk tea also contain caffeine, but because people lack a comprehensive understanding of traditional Chinese caffeine drinks, the natural thing, “milk tea contains caffeine,” is still frequently trending.
Consumers most look forward to caffeine’s “refreshing and invigorating” effect
According to market research firm data, after the pandemic, more and more consumers are looking for foods and beverages that can affect cognitive ability, manage stress levels, and optimize brain function. Caffeine is one of the most promising ingredients for development.
The survey shows that consumers expect caffeine to have the most effect of refreshing the mind (91.56%), followed by improving athletic performance (45.47%), improving reaction speed (38.75%), and improving cognitive function (36.12%).
Liu Ailing, a researcher at the Institute for Nutrition and Health of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, believes that caffeine can have a variety of effects on the human body. It can promote the release of neurotransmitters, enhance neuronal activity, thereby increasing the excitability of the central nervous system, and improve alertness, concentration, etc. However, excessive intake may also cause symptoms such as palpitations, nervousness, insomnia, and gastrointestinal discomfort. Therefore, when consuming it, you should pay attention to the right amount.
Most consumers are not familiar with other sources of caffeine
Caffeine is naturally found in a variety of plants, such as coffee beans, tea leaves, cocoa beans, guarana leaves, and yerba mate.
Surveys show that consumers are most familiar with “coffee bean extract” (89.10%), but are less familiar with other ingredients containing caffeine. For example, 51.79% of consumers are unaware that “black tea concentrate” contains caffeine, 63.42% are unaware that “paraguay tea extract” contains caffeine, and 76.05% are unaware that “guaraná extract” contains caffeine.
Li Yu, chief engineer of the China National Food Industry Association, believes that in China, caffeine is currently only permitted in some health foods and cola-type carbonated drinks, but caffeine can also be added to ingredients such as coffee powder, tea powder, and guarana extract. These ingredients containing caffeine are themselves permitted for use, and safety is not an issue, but the recognition rate among consumers is relatively low. Consideration could be given to regulating the use and labeling of caffeine on the basis of scientific evidence, in line with the needs of the consumer market, so that companies can add it clearly and consumers can choose clearly.
A two-pronged approach is needed to control caffeine intake
According to the “Scientific Consensus on Coffee and Health,” it is safe for healthy adults to consume no more than 400 mg of caffeine per day, which is equivalent to about 4 cups (standard cups) of coffee. In order to facilitate consumers’ control of caffeine intake, many countries and regions, including the United States, the European Union, Australia, New Zealand, etc., require that food and beverages containing caffeine clearly label the caffeine content. Surveys show that 88.41% of Chinese consumers also want to know the caffeine content of food and beverages. In addition, 75.66% of consumers believe that they should control both the amount of caffeine added to products and their own caffeine intake.
Chen Junshi, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, believes that, judging from the survey data, many consumers already have a sense of self-control, which is good. Consumer education can be further strengthened so that everyone can learn to reasonably plan their caffeine intake through label information, which will achieve the goal of refreshing the mind and body while avoiding the health risks associated with excessive intake.