TULSA, Okla. — Maybe you’ve seen those colorful cups with over-sized straws, filled with a sweet drink and chewy little pearls. Bubble tea, or boba, has become a favorite, especially with young people. But new safety tests from Consumer Reports show the popular drink may come with a hidden serious concern: lead.
Once a niche Taiwanese treat, bubble tea is now widely available and growing in popularity.
The star of the drink, tapioca boba pearls, made from cassava.
Cassava’s a root vegetable known to absorb lead and other heavy metals from soil. And because of that, Consumer Reports wanted to see how much lead and other heavy metals these drinks and pearls might contain.
Consumer Reports tested pearls from two major chains — Gong Cha and Kung Fu Tea — along with packaged boba from Trader Joe’s and Wu Fu Yuan. The results were clear: every single sample contained lead.
While these levels weren’t so high CR tells people to completely avoid bubble tea, the fact that lead was detected in all four products is a good reason to treat it as an occasional treat, and not an everyday staple.
Health experts are clear on one point: no amount of lead is safe. Its risks are greatest for children and pregnant women.
Trader Joe’s told CR it discontinued its Instant Boba Kit.
Wu Fu Yuan’s parent company, said: “We take the safety of our products very seriously, and your outreach has prompted us to further improve our existing quality control measures.”
Kung Fu Tea and Gong Cha did not reply to CR’s request for comment.
It’s impossible to completely avoid lead, because it can be found in a variety of foods including healthy ones, and your daily exposure can add up.
Consumer Reports recommends enjoying treats like bubble tea and dark chocolate, which can also be higher in lead, only occasionally.
Experts also say eating a wide variety of healthy foods can help reduce your overall exposure to heavy metals. Nutrients such as calcium, iron, and vitamin C may even help counter some of the effects.
So, while you don’t have to give up bubble tea entirely, it’s best not to make it part of your daily routine.
Bubble teas can often be high in sugar and calories which is another good reason to make it an occasional treat.
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