Tea in its true sense is defined by the International Standards Organisation (ISO) as, ‘tea derived solely and exclusively, and produced by acceptable processes, notably withering, leaf maceration, aeration and drying, from the tender shoots of varieties of the species Camellia Sinensis, known to be suitable for making tea for consumption as a beverage.

Real Tea is tea produced in the traditional, orthodox manner from the tender shoots of Camellia Sinensis. The process of manufacture, perfected over centuries is the most widespread in Sri Lanka with its drying, rolling, fermentation and baking into the form most people are familiar with – black tea, green tea, white tea. Orthodox Tea is distinct from the more recent process – CTC (or Cut, Twist and Curl) which was developed by companies seeking to offer quick colour in a teabag. CTC teas rob tea of its soul, losing the subtlety of flavour, aroma, variety and character that Orthodox Teas are prized for. CTC consists of just 3 grades or forms, whilst Orthodox Tea produces almost infinite variety of leaf size, colour, subtlety of character and body.

 Dilmah offers Real Tea from a Single Origin in its teabags and leaf tea, offering quality, flavour and richness of taste in both teabags and leaf tea.

It is the result of the high molecular weight components which are formed due to the influence of calcium and bicarbonate ions at the liquid water interface. The scum can be removed in two ways

1. By filtering the calcium ions,

2. By adding acids to covert bicarbonate ions to CO2.

Very little scum is formed on a cup of very strong tea. As the acidic tea polyphenols themselves partly neutralise the bicarbonate ions. It also should be noted that less than one mg of scum is formed in a cup of tea and it is not known to be harmful to human health.

The water used to brew the tea significantly affects the colour and the taste of a cup of tea. Tea brewed in soft water or permanently hard water (which contains CaSO4) appears brighter than if it is brewed in temporary hard water (that contains Calcium bicarbonate CaCO3).

High pH water that contains bicarbonate makes the infusion look darker brown due to the greater ionisation of the tea polyphenols. While lower pH as in lemon tea the infusion turns yellow. As for taste some teas are more suited to softer water such as the orthodox manufactured Assam leaf, while high grown Ceylon and CTC manufactured teas are better with temporary hard water.

Clouding in tea is a result of the colloidal precipitate that is formed. This is called ‘tea cream’. Tea creaming takes place when black tea is cooled below 40⁰ C. A weak complexion is formed between caffeine and polyphenols (theaflavins and thearubigins). The tendency to cream down varies from tea to tea. In black tea without milk complexation and subsequent precipitation that occurs is negligible due to just 4% of caffeine.

In tea with milk a similar association takes place between the milk protein casein and various polyphenols. Due to the availability of casein in milk tea the complexion is greater resulting in larger precipitation.

The diuretic can be attributed to the caffeine present in tea and coffee. Caffeine increases diuretic action on the kidneys, increasing urinary volume and sodium extraction as a result of a decrease in the tubular re-absorption of sodium and water. Coffee contains a higher content of caffeine compared to tea. Research has shown that a 170ml (6-oz) serving of tea contains, on average 34mg of caffeine in comparison to 99 mg of caffeine in 170 ml serving of brewed coffee.

As a result the diuretic effect of coffee is greater compared to tea.

As brewed tea contains almost 98% water it makes a healthy contribution to the delay fluid balance. Tea contains no additives or artificial colours. Research indicates possible antioxidant benefits so drinking tea can be a calorie-free way to increase intake dietary antioxidants.

A Harvard Medical School study discovered that regular consumption of tea could boost the body’s defenses against infection. A component in tea was found in laboratory experiments to prime the immune system to attack invading bacteria, viruses and fungi, according to a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

A second experiment, using human volunteers, showed that immune system blood cells from tea drinkers responded five times faster to germs than did the blood cells of coffee drinkers. Researchers claim that the results give clear proof that five cups of tea a day sharpen the body’s disease defenses.

 In the study a substance called L-theanine was isolated from ordinary black tea. L-theanine is broken down in the liver to ethylamine, a molecule that primes the response of an immune system element called the gamma-delta T cell, considered the first line of defence against bacteria, viral, fungal and parasitic infections.

The T cells prompt the secretion of interferon, a key part of the body’s chemical defense against infection. To further test the finding, the researchers had 11 volunteers drink five cups a day of tea, and 10 others drink coffee. Before the test began, they drew blood samples from all 21 test subjects.

After four weeks, they took more blood from the tea drinkers and then exposed that blood to the bacteria called E-coli. The immune cells in the specimens secreted five times more interferon than did blood cells from the same subjects before the weeks of tea drinking researchers claimed. Blood tests and bacteria challenges showed there was no change in the interferon levels of the coffee drinkers.

The filter material used for Dilmah tea bags contained natural fibres such as, specially selected blend of cellulose fibres, wood pulp and abaca in some products and PLA material in some other products. Although some filter paper grades can contain a minimum amount of synthetic fibres to provide the necessary paper characteristics, the filter paper grades used by us cannot be classified as plastic material and articles covered by EU10/2011 based on the materials used and composition.

• The following is relevant about our filter papers;

• They are not made exclusively of plastics

• They are not multi-layer articles held together by adhesives or other means

• They are single layer products not a multi material, multilayer material with plastic layers that can be separated.

• Paper fibres are not plastic polymers as defined by this regulation

The applicable legislation for all materials and articles in contact with food is EU/1935/2004 and this regulation defines the requirements that all materials must meet. The paper complies with worldwide food safety legislations such as EU/1935/2004, best practice guidelines for food contact packaging and legal requirements for the production of hot filtration papers. It is confirmed that there is no hazard to health for their use in a teabag application.

Researcher Dr Weisburger concludes from recent studies that six or more cups of tea per day helps healthy aging. Tea can restore elasticity to the skin, and tests have shown that it enhances memory.

In populations where regular tea drinking is a part of the lifestyle, as in Japan and India, individuals are likely to live to an advanced age in good health. Also, experimental studies indicate that animals given dietary antioxidants, including tea, live longer.

Tea plants accumulate fluoride in their leaves. In general, the oldest tea leaves contain the most fluoride. Most high quality teas are made from the bud or the first two to four leaves—the youngest leaves on the plant. Brick tea, a lower quality tea, is made from the oldest tea leaves and is often very high in fluoride. Symptoms of excess fluoride (i.e., dental and skeletal fluorosis) have been observed in Tibetan children and adults who consume large amounts of brick tea. Unlike brick tea, fluoride levels in green, oolong, and black teas are generally comparable to those recommended for the prevention of dental caries (cavities). Thus, daily consumption of up to one liter of green, oolong, or black tea would be unlikely to result in fluoride intakes higher than those recommended for dental health. The fluoride content of white tea is likely to be less than other teas, since white teas are made from only the buds of the tea plant.

It has been found that not only fluoride but the polyphenols in tea also act to reduce tooth decay. Recent studies have further revealed that tea inhibits the growth of other harmful microorganisms in the oral cavity.