TEA, INGREDIENTS, & SAFETY

WHAT’S IN YOUR TEA?

Big Heart Tea Co. uses 100% organic herbs in all herbal blends. Our matcha, black, green, and oolong teas are all sourced directly from small farms. We only use whole ingredients. no flavors, coloring or sweeteners added. Just whole flowers, herbs, and spices. Please see our teas' product pages for a full list of ingredients and certifications.

Our certified organic herbal teas are made with whole ingredients, meaning the herbs aren’t “tea cut” before they arrive at our warehouse - so they’re extra flavorful.

WHAT'S IN YOUR TEA LEAVES?

Just tea. Our matcha, green, oolong, and black teas are single origin tea leaf sourced from our direct trade farm partners around the world. Learn more about the farms we work with here.

WHAT ARE YOUR TEABAGS MADE OF?

Our tea sachets are also made from 100% compostable, non-toxic PLA. That means no harmful chemicals leeching into your tea. So go ahead and sip safe.

WHAT’S THE EXPIRATION DATE FOR YOUR PRODUCTS?

Our teas are non-perishable; we recommend up to a 2-year shelf life for flavor and freshness.

WHAT ARE THE SAFETY GUIDELINES FOR BIG HEART TEA?

Our tea safety is based off of the standard dosage of up to 3 cups of tea a day, brewed in 8oz of water for 2 minutes. All of our herbal and spice ingredients meet California’s Prop 65 testing for heavy metals, and our Fake Coffee was 3rd-party tested for caffeine content (it’s officially classified as “Without Caffeine!”).

 HOW MUCH CAFFEINE IS IN TEA?

This is a tricky question, because it depends on the freshness of the tea and the way it’s been brewed. But here’s the basic rundown:

• Our herbal teas are all naturally caffeine free.
• Green and black teas contain between 50-80 mg of caffeine per serving — or 1/3 to 1/2 the amount in an 8 oz serving of drip coffee. The myth that green tea has less caffeine than black may come from the fact that green teas contain natural properties that counteract the negative effects of caffeine.
• Matcha has the most, at 60-90 per 2 gram serving. But it also contains green tea’s counteractive properties.
• Heat extracts more caffeine, so the same portion of tea hot brewed for 2 minutes will have more caffeine than the same tea cold brewed for 2 minutes. However, most cold brew tea recipes call for a larger portion of tea and a much longer extraction time, so they will often contain more caffeine.

WHY ORGANIC?

We source certified organic herbs to ensure farm workers and their families are not exposed to harmful chemicals, and to protect soil health and water quality around the world. All our herbal and spice ingredients are also tested for heavy metals.

WHAT DOES “DIRECT TRADE” MEAN?

Direct trade means a one or two-degree connection to your farmer. Working hand-in-hand with farmers, we are able to ensure that the tea you drink comes from a place of health - from field to factory to you. The majority of the farms we work with are run by small families. Every farm we work with is pesticide free and brimming with biodiversity.

 HOW ARE YOUR TEA BAGS PLASTIC-FREE? WHAT IS “PLA”?

PLA (polylactic acid) is a vegetable-based material that mimics petroleum-based plastic. Our tea bags are made from a 100% compostable woven mesh called Soilon. Soilon is PLA derived from corn starch (but it does *not* contain corn - it is an isolated chemical, polylactic acid, not an allergen), and is completely biodegradable: a safe, non-toxic material that’s perfect for filtering tea and herbal infusions. Read all about it here. We also use PLA cellophane inner liners that are 100% compostable as well.

HOW DO I COMPOST PLA?