Can you get sick from drinking old tea?
William Harris
Updated on May 09, 2026
While old tea isn't usually dangerous to consume, it's definitely a less than ideal tea drinking experience. If your tea tastes like it's gone bad or if you spot visible mold or other signs of decomposition, steer clear.
Can you get food poisoning from tea?
In general, tea is considered a relatively safe food. Until 2010, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had no reports of a tea-caused foodborne illness outbreak on file. But although outbreaks are pretty rare, iced tea can still make someone sick if it's handled incorrectly.What happens if you drink old sweet tea?
Storage times shown are for best quality only - after that, the unopened iced tea's color or taste may change, but in most cases, it will still be safe to consume if it has been stored properly and the bottle is not damaged.Is leftover tea poisonous?
If you forgot to have your tea for a maximum of 10 to 15 minutes, it is safe to drink. The food poisoning bacteria grow in brewed teas that are exposed to heat between 41 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. The case is even worse with milk teas, which can also gain an unpleasant taste and grainy texture when reheated.Is it OK to drink yesterday's tea?
Do not drink yesterday's tea. Tea, standing for several hours, quickly loses vitamins and other nutrients. The Chinese consider old tea poison. But leftover tea is fine used as an external agent for therapeutic purposes.Tea drinking in the UK
Why you shouldn't drink old tea?
In short, please don't drink it!Tea that has been sitting around for way too long is also referred to as overnight tea as well. When tea sits around for too long, a substance called TP (tea polyphenol) that it contains will start to oxidise, this darkens the tea.
How long can tea sit out before it goes bad?
At Room TemperatureAs the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says, brewed tea should not be kept uncovered on the counter for more than 8 hours. After this, your tea's no longer safe to consume. Also, to get the best taste, you should drink it within 6 hours at room temperature.