Valerie Auxila's List: Mythbusters Sun Tea

• sun tea (tea made by exposing tea leaves steeped in water to the direct rays of the sun; usually served with ice)

• Sun tea describes a method of brewing tea, usually for iced tea, by using exposure to the sun.
• Sun tea can harbor bacteria, especially alcaligenes viscolactis. When water is allowed to sit out for several hours, this bacterium can grow, and the heat provided by the sun, which may get the water up to a temperature of 130 F (54.44 C), will not kill the bacteria.
• Decaffeinated and herbal teas are actually great for growing the bacteria, which can result in abdominal illness and infection.
• There are a few ways to make sun tea that won’t make you ill. The first is to boil the water needed for the tea for at least three to five minutes.
• The key is not allowing sun tea to sit out and come to room temperature, and if you do use mint or other herbs, these should be washed thoroughly. In fact you may want to boil any herbs or seasoning for 3-5 minutes to avoid any harmful bacteria.

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• ea leaves may be contaminated with coliform bacteria. If iced tea is brewed at inadequate temperatures

  or in an improperly cleaned urn, or if it is stored for too long, it may grow coliform bacteria, most

  frequently Klebsiella and Ente

  robacter, and less commonly E. coli. In particular, the faucet of iced tea urns

  may provide a nidus for bacterial contamination
• Iced tea

  cou

  ld become contaminated with bacteria at any of several steps in its production, e.g., growing,

  harvesting, processing, transport, steeping, and storage of brewed tea.
• Brewing iced tea at an appropriate temperature in a thoroughly cleaned urn and limiting the time held at

  room temperature before serving will minimize the theoretical risk of bacterial contamination.

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• Coliforms are bacteria that are always present in the digestive tracts of animals, including humans, and are found in their wastes. They are also found in plant and soil material.
• The most basic test for bacterial contamination of a water supply is the test for total coliform bacteria. Total coliform counts give a general indication of the sanitary condition of a water supply.
• Most coliform bacteria do not cause disease. However, some rare strains of E. coli, particularly the strain 0157:H7, can cause serious illness. Recent outbreaks of disease caused by E. coli 0157:H7 have generated much public concern about this organism.

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