Other PesticidesĮndosulfan isn’t the only pesticide to be worried about.Īcetamaprid is a neonicotinoid and agricultural insecticide resembling nicotine, which is currently banned in Canada and elsewhere.

It could take years before the soils which were once sprayed with endosulfan are clear of the chemical ( 11). It should also be taken into consideration that even though certain bans have taken place, endosulfan residues still exist. As stated on the description of their boxed Green Tea “Uncle Lee’s famous non-fermented green tea is freshly grown and harvested from a tea plantation in the Fu-Jian province of China” ( 10). Uncle Lee’s Legends of China sources their tea from China. The world’s largest tea grower and exporter.Ĭompanies like Tetley source their tea from India and Argentina ( 9). More than 80 countries, including the European Union, Australia, New Zealand, several West African nations, the United States, Brazil, and Canada have already banned endosulfan or announced phase-outs by 2017 ( 1, 2, 3, 4, 5).ĭespite a large number of countries and the European Union having already banned the use of endosulfan, residues are still being detected in tea ( Camellia sinensis) ( 6, 7), due to its extensive use in China ( 8),

“This is very worrisome from a number of perspectives…The presence of so many pesticides on a single product and so many products that exceed the maximum residue limits for pesticides, suggests that we’re seeing very poor agricultural practices in countries, which poses risk to the environment where these products are being grown which pose risk to the farmworkers who are growing these crops, and ultimately pose risk to the Canadians who are consuming these products.” Endosulfanįor example, endosulfan, one of the most toxic pesticides on the market today, was found in Uncle Lee’s Legends of China Green Tea and Tetley Pure Green Tea.Įndosulfan is a chlorinated insecticide that is chemically similar to the infamous DDT (which was banned over 48 years ago). Multiple chemicals were found in 8 out of 10 teas, with one brand of tea containing over 22 different types of pesticides (Uncle Lee’s Legends of China tea brand).Ī large majority of these pesticides are currently being banned in several countries due to the health risks they pose to workers that handle them, and the negative effects they have on the environment (as well as the health of those that consume the products).Įnvironmental lawyer, David Boyd, told CBC: The investigators at CBC found that over half of all teas tested had pesticide residues that were above the legally acceptable limit.

Using an accredited lab, the investigators utilized testing methods employed by the National Food Inspection Agency to test pesticide residues on dry tea leaves. But besides being tasty and warming, tea provides a host of different health benefits – that is, unless your tea is soaked in pesticides.ĬBC News recently conducted an investigation on the pesticide levels in some of the most major tea-producing companies.

There’s nothing nicer than sipping on a warm cup of herbal tea on a cold midwinter’s day.

Bernie sleepytime tea