Netizens: After Thai Milk Tea, Some ‘Nearly Met Their Ancestors’ — Many Awake Past 2 a.m.; Experts Warn the Sensitive

Recently “Thai milk tea” went viral again on social media, but alongside its soaring popularity, the caffeine controversy keeps fermenting. Topics like “drank Thai milk tea and almost met my grandmother-in-law” quickly topped platform trends, with many consumers complaining of insomnia and palpitations after drinking it. A reporter’s visits found that, from physical stores to e-commerce, the caffeine content of Thai milk tea is generally “unclear and unlabeled.”

Xu Jinkui, a dietitian in the clinical nutrition department of West China Chunxi Hospital of Sichuan University (Sichuan Provincial Fourth People’s Hospital), reminded reporters in an interview that for healthy adults, major international authorities generally agree the safe daily caffeine upper limit is 400 mg, and caffeine-sensitive people should drink new-style freshly made tea drinks with caution.

Consumers’ confusion:

One cup of Thai milk tea, then can’t sleep

Where does the “kick” come from?

“I’m caffeine-intolerant and rarely drink milk tea or coffee, but Thai milk tea was so hot I chose to have a cup in the morning — and couldn’t fall asleep until 2 a.m.,” said Ms. Xiong, surprised that this cup was more stimulating than other flavored teas.

Such experiences are not isolated. A netizen posted that, believing she couldn’t drink coffee or strong tea, after one bottle of Thai milk tea she felt unwell within an hour, with her heart rate reaching 125 bpm at one point. Others said that at the first sip it tasted fine, but after finishing they suddenly felt palpitations, dizziness, nausea and vomiting, warning caffeine-sensitive people not to try it lightly.

According to public information, traditional Thai milk tea uses water, Thai black-tea powder, condensed milk, light milk, white sugar or syrup as main ingredients, with the Thai black-tea powder often blended with natural spices such as cinnamon, star anise, cardamom and lemongrass. Today’s tea brands’ “Thai milk tea” drinks are all adjusted on this basis. Unlike ordinary milk tea, Thai milk tea’s tea base, with finer powder and fuller extraction, releases caffeine faster and in greater amounts — the very reason its stimulating effect far exceeds that of regular milk tea. In addition, Chen Lan, an endocrinologist at Zhejiang Zhongshan Hospital, told media that the large amounts of condensed and light milk also make Thai milk tea a typical high-sugar, high-fat drink.

Reporter’s visits:

Stores sell briskly; caffeine content “unclear”

Recently, a reporter visited several Thai-milk-tea shops in Chengdu and found all doing brisk business, with consumers queuing for pickup. At one shop, the reporter saw seven different Thai milk tea flavors on offer. The clerk said the basic version uses only black tea, condensed milk and light milk, but when asked about caffeine content, said “not sure,” only advising customers to order as they liked.

Another shop said that its classic Thai milk tea, if the customer chooses no sugar, carries only the light natural sweetness of the ingredients themselves; as for caffeine content, it would only say “within a suitable range, with appropriate stimulation.”

Beyond in-store freshly made drinks, the reporter found on e-commerce platforms that bottled and instant Thai milk tea are also popular, with reviews praising “not too sweet, rich tea aroma.” But the reporter found these products only list main ingredients, with no clear statement of caffeine content.

In fact, caffeine content has long been a blind spot for milk-tea consumers. In 2023, the consumer-protection committee of Changshu, Jiangsu, bought 14 milk teas for testing; the highest-caffeine sample, calculated at 500 g per cup, reached 162.5 mg — already close to a medium Americano. Meanwhile, 52.15% of respondents still did not know tea contains caffeine, and 88.41% wanted to know the caffeine content of their drinks.

“There is no mandatory rule requiring freshly made tea drinks to label caffeine content, and the already-implemented ‘Raw-and-auxiliary-material Requirements for Freshly Made Tea Drinks’ sets no upper limit either. Natural tea leaves vary by batch, and the fresh-making process is affected by cup size and recipe; for a brand to publish figures long-term, it must build testing, data-update and in-store execution mechanisms,” said industry veteran Lin. Uniform industry grading standards remain difficult for now.

Zhong Kai, director of the CFS Health Information Exchange Center, also publicly stated that China currently has no mandatory labeling rule for caffeine in freshly made drinks.

Still, some tea brands have taken the lead, offering the industry a reference. Via search platforms, the reporter found that in 2024 a brand launched a “caffeine traffic light,” publicly listing the caffeine content of its drinks on sale and giving consumption-time hints by no-caffeine / green / yellow / red. Another brand publishes caffeine figures through an online “product ID card.”

Consumers waiting in line at a Thai milk tea shop

Dietitian’s reminder:

Safe daily caffeine upper limit 400 mg; sensitive groups drink with caution

On insomnia and palpitations caused by caffeine, Xu Jinkui explained that for healthy adults, major international authorities generally agree the safe daily caffeine upper limit is 400 mg. Caffeine varies widely among common drinks: a roughly 360 ml Americano contains about 150–200 mg, while an equal volume of brewed black tea is about 20–45 mg.

Xu specifically warned that today’s new-style freshly made tea drinks vary greatly in caffeine due to tea type and brewing method; a roughly 500 ml large cup of pure-tea drink contains about 100–200 mg, some even exceeding 200 mg — already comparable to a cup of coffee. Pregnant and breastfeeding women, children and adolescents, cardiovascular patients and the caffeine-sensitive should strictly control or avoid intake based on their own reactions.

“Both tea and coffee are natural drinks with complex compositions. While enjoying their flavor and health benefits, consumers should understand their own physical condition and follow the principles of moderation and proper timing, so they can enjoy drinks with greater peace of mind,” Xu emphasized.

Source: Guangming Net, compiled from Sichuan Daily, Consumer Quality Report and China Food News