Bubble Tea Sweet and unhealthy cult drink

Sweet pearl tea can endanger your health

23/06/2012

In every major city in Germany, new bubble tea shops open almost every corner. The cult drink is especially popular with children and adolescents. Different chains grant licenses, which is why a veritable boom has broken out. Also the fast food chain „MC Donalds“ jumped on the train and offers the sugar sweet drink in different varieties. But nutrition experts warn: Blasentee contains many artificial ingredients and far too much sugar. From a healthy tea beverage can „to be spoken here in any case“, so health authorities.

More and more bubble tea shops in Germany
The Asian bubble tea has arrived in Germany for some months now. At each corner, new bars are springing up. Partly children and young people are queuing up to get the coveted drink with the brightly colored bubbles. But Bubble Tea is no longer a tea today, but a sugar drink with often numerous flavors and preservatives.

Lo Ming is the seller of the colorful bubble tea shop in downtown Hanover. She opened the shop together with her husband four months ago. Since then, sales are running better than initially thought. Annoying is only that in the immediate vicinity three more bubble tea bars were created. „This has made itself felt strongly in the last two weeks“, she says. Customers can choose their drink on the pink board. These are called for example „Black pearls“, „Tropical rain“ or „Love spells“. Behind the promising names hide drinks from syrup, green or black tea imitations, milk or yogurt. There are also colorful starchy pearls that hide an extremely sweet fruit syrup inside. When drinking, the pearls are sucked in with a thick straw. In the mouth the little balls burst. Ming suspects that those pearls are responsible for many children and adolescents to leave any ice cream for if they could drink a bubble tea instead. „70 percent of our customers are under 18 years“, says the saleswoman. But more and more adults would succumb to the pearl drinks.

Another natural tea drink 25 years ago
In Taiwan, Bubble Tea was first served in a small bar 25 years ago. Only a few years later began the triumph of the cult drink. At that time, the pearl drink was a blend of green and black tea. The bubbles were formed from starch of the corn plant. „In Germany there is bubble tea“ only for half a year“ says Ming. There are now over 20 colorful shops in Hanover. When she and her husband opened the store, they were almost the first with three vendors.

License fees of around 30,000 euros
In Germany, the market is divided by different chains. These are called for example „Mr. Bubble“, „Bobog“ or „Tea One“. Bobog has opened more than 80 branches throughout Germany since its opening in Berlin and is one of the market leaders. According to own data the enterprise would expand further. „There are always more“ It says in a statement of the company. Exact sales figures are not revealed by the company. Even the royalties and recipes are always kept secret. According to the „Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung“ So cost a franchise license between an estimated 20- to 30,000 euros. For this, the sales remain at the stores.

The competition is not sleeping: McDonalds, the fast food giant, has also been offering Bubble Tea in its approximately 780 stores since July 11 this year. „We think that Bubble Tea will primarily appeal to young adults and teenagers, but we are sure that older guests will enjoy and enjoy the new product as well“, said a spokesman for the chain. Ming says they are „no original bubble teas“. However, it will certainly not make it easier to stay on the market.

Market researchers see in the new cult drink no long-term success. Although the „Hype will continue for a short while“, However, it is because of the fact that the drink „novel in its composition, taste and texture“ is. The price is quite high with an average of three euros. a „wide trend“ For example, market researcher Thomas Ebenfeld from the agency „concept m“ not seen.

Some shops offer organic
After persistent criticism from the health authorities put up some bubble tea bars „Bio“. This is how the supplier works „Boba time“ only with ground tea and do without artificial additives. „The offer is great, but different“, says Ming. Many stores rely on the aforementioned sales to stand out from the competition. The ingredients are „tastier and without chemistry“.

Plasticizers and allergenic substances
Recently, the consumer center in North Rhine-Westphalia warned consumers with hypersensitivity or allergies. Because most pearl drinks contain artificial preservatives and dyes. In addition, the consumer advocates suspect that health-damaging plasticizer substances are included in the beverage cups. Often, Asian mugs and syrup bottles contain phthalic acid esters that negatively affect the human hormone balance. Numerous scientific studies have found that plasticisers are suspected of promoting cancer and promoting infertility.

Infants may swallow themselves
Pediatricians recently warned of serious health consequences for infants. „If swallowed whole, heavy coughing may be used“, says Dr. Jochen Müller. Then, small children should be taken to a hospital immediately because the bullets may become lodged. If they subsequently reach the lungs via the trachea, in some cases pneumonia has already developed and, in the worst case, lung collapse. Therefore, should children under five years possible only under supervision or at best no bubble tea drink, so the physician.

Bubble Tea is one of the thickeners
Just as critical is the high sugar content in the gaudy drinks. According to consumer advocates, only 0.2 liters contain around 500 calories. That's about one-third of a child's daily needs. Thus, bubble tea contains about three times as much kilocalories as commercial cola. But because drinks do not produce a sense of satiety, you can expect overweight in frequent use. Thus, the risk of other diseases such as diabetes is significantly increased. (Sb)

Read about:
Often unknown ingredients in bubble tea
Consumer advocates warn against bubble tea
Health Warning Bubble Tea
Bubble Tea: Modern fattening
Lung collapse due to bubble teas

Image: Liwe-photos Photography, Wikipedia Germany