The influence of storage conditions on the stability of selected health-promoting properties of tea

Tea has health-promoting properties because some it ingredients (epicatechin, epigallocatechin, epicatechin-3-gallate and epigallocatechin-3-gallate) can quench the reaction with oxygen. They result from the properties of the raw material and changes occurring during the technological process and under the influence of the dried material's storage conditions, e.g., during transport. The current study compared the storage stability of selected black and green tea properties produced from the same raw material. The relationship between hygroscopicity and the stability of the health-promoting properties of tea samples during their storage in the environment with different humidity levels was determined. All experimental analyzes were performed using dried tea samples because the impact of storage conditions, not brewing conditions, on the stability of the health-promoting properties of tea was evaluated. Green tea differed in hygroscopicity from black tea, which was conditioned by the differences in the technological process. Black tea was more resistant to the adverse effects of very high ambient humidity. Therefore, during green and black tea transport under the same conditions and time, their quality will diminish with different dynamics. These findings have important implications for effectively managing the tea storage proces.