Aflatoxin in Puerh: New results and reasons for concern?

[xiaobai]

Here is the data for shu. Key and column labels as above.

[kyarazen]

indeed there are black sheeps in the tea trade... but..




do you know that dihydrogen monoxide can kill too if consumed in too large quantities?

when you brew tea, you introduce dihydrogen monoxide into the leaves....

[xiaobai]

Yes, Kyarazen, you are right: H2O is likely to be the problem!

But lack of it, to be precise. It is well known that a
drought has been going on in Yunnan for a while now:

https://www.chinadialogue.net/article/s ... t-hotspot-

Under such stress conditions (no rain, high temperatures) plant defenses are damaged and they become particularly susceptible to infections by A. flavus and other mycotoxin producing fungal infections. This is well known in the case of corn and other grain crops that fall frequently prey to Aspergillus infections (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspergillus_flavus, under Management).

Add to this situation the over-exploitation of gushu and tea trees in general, a steady increase in the use of fertilizers and pesticides to boost the production, and it all leaves us with a "perfect storm" scenario for a Aspergillosis plague in the favorite tea mountains of a poorly regulated tea industry...

But keep calm, drink on!
The best way to overcome a problem is probably to simply ignore it!

[MEversbergII]

I'm familiar with Aflatoxin via peanuts through my involvement in the Primal Blueprint food community. Not good stuff.

Very interesting that shu is lower. I suspect the wet piling causes it to be outcompeted. Though, I wonder why the roasting process that sheng undergoes does not reduce the numbers? Roasting peanuts seems to do it. Perhaps it's not long enough?

I generally don't drink pu'er, and sheng is even less common. I wonder what the other tea types have on them, and how the brewing process effects the fungus, as well as extant toxins.

Thank you for sharing the data!

M.