In the heat of summer
Have a cup of iced milk tea
Cool off the heat
Feel refreshed
When the friends drink milk tea
Did you notice that the package was printed on it\
"Please drink as soon as possible"
"Drink within 2 hours"
Words such as "Drink within 1 hour".
The clerk will also remind you
"Drink as soon as possible, otherwise it will affect the taste"
That milk tea really
Do I have to consume it within 2 hours?
Milk tea, as the name suggests, is
Milk + tea is the main drink
Milk tea is usually made of tea leaves and milk, and now in order to adjust the taste, sugar, cream, cheese, fruit, creamer and other flavors will be added to make it taste more diverse and can also meet the taste needs of different people.
- Milk: Milk is common, but also with cream, non-dairy cream, and cheese.
- Tea: black tea, green tea, clear tea, etc., you can also add a variety of tea powders.
- Sugar: There are those with white sugar, some with fructose syrup, and more recently, sugar substitutes, such as erythritol, aspartame, etc.
- Salt: Some traditional milk teas in Inner Mongolia taste salty, and salt is added during the production process.
- Fruits: Many milk teas will also add a variety of fresh fruits, such as strawberries, grapes, mangoes, etc., which will also make milk tea sweeter.
A cup of milk tea
How long does it take to finish drinking?
1 hour? Or 2 hours?
In terms of safety and taste
2 hours is a good option
1. Safety
Milk tea has a good taste, it contains protein, fat, sugar and other nutrients, these nutrients are also loved by many microorganisms in the environment. A cup of freshly made milk tea is placed outside without any protective measures, which will cause various microorganisms to eye. If milk tea is stored for too long, various bacteria and microorganisms may grow and multiply in large quantities, resulting in food safety hazards.
Bacteria grow when food is left outside, and the growth rate has a lot to do with temperature. It is generally believed that 5°C~60°C is the dangerous temperature zone, and in this temperature range, bacteria will multiply rapidly and accelerate food spoilage, which is basically the temperature of our daily environment.
The 4 hour/2 hour rule applies to the safe storage time between 5°C and 60°C, i.e. food that has been kept in the danger zone for no more than 2 hours (including preparation, storage and display) can be refrigerated (kept below 5°C) or reheated (heated above 60°C) and removed again at a later time.
But be careful
Food is in the danger zone
The total duration of the stay must not exceed 4 hours
That is, if there is no treatment (no sealing or refrigeration), it is best to eat it within 2 hours; If it is more than 2 hours, it is best to refrigerate or reheat before eating; If it's more than 4 hours, try not to eat it.
2. Taste
In addition to thinking about it from a food safety perspective
Taste is also important
After all, we buy milk tea
Isn't it just for the sake of its deliciousness?
When you buy a cup of freshly brewed milk tea, it tastes the best, and various flavors such as tea, milk, and fruit can be fully displayed, and it is in the best state. However, over time, the ingredients in milk tea will change and the flavor will slowly be lost.
First of all, the tea polyphenols in tea will gradually oxidize and decompose, resulting in the weakening of tea aroma, and at the same time, the flavor of milk and fruit will slowly fade. These changes will make the taste of milk tea become bland and lose its original flavor and texture.
Secondly, people's temperature preferences for iced milk tea and hot milk tea are not the same. If you order ice milk tea, of course, you like the iced taste, but after a long time, the ice cubes will slowly melt, the temperature will become higher, and the taste will naturally change. People's preference for hot milk tea generally prefers its taste at about 50 degrees, and after a long time, the temperature is low, and they will also feel that the taste is not good.
So, in order to taste good, you should also drink it as soon as possible. However, there is no very exact time to say what the effect of taste is.
How to drink milk tea with confidence?
Finally, a reminder to everyone
"Please drink within 2 hours"
It is calculated from the time the milk tea is made
If ordered via takeout
The delivery time is also subtracted
- If the milk tea has been sealed and refrigerated in the refrigerator at about 4°C, it can be safely drunk for more than 2 hours.
- If the milk tea has been opened or sucked through a straw, it is best to drink it within 2 hours; If you can't finish it, you have to put it in the refrigerator.
- If you put it in the refrigerator after leaving it outside at room temperature for 2 hours, you should still pay attention to see if it smells bad or deteriorates when you drink it again.
Of course, this is an ideal recommendation for food safety, and it does not mean that you will definitely get food poisoning and diarrhea after drinking it for more than 4 hours, but it just means that the risk is greater. Specifically, in real life, we also need to consider the cost, after all, if you really throw it away, many people are reluctant to do so, and it will cause food waste.
Finally, I would like to advise everyone
Although milk tea is delicious
Don't be greedy
After all, it's a high-sugar and high-oil food!
Source: Popular Science China, Youth Shanghai
Editors: Xu Lulu, Li Nan