The Lipton Tea Myth That Had Consumers Thinking They Drank Worms - Tasting Table

"In the video, an unseen narrator opens a bag of Lipton lemon-flavored green tea - normally, you would never open your tea bag, so it's unclear what prompted this. The narrator proceeds to pour out the loose tea and begins to point out tiny shapes, claiming are "worms," despite nothing moving over the course of the video. The narrator also says it's not a fluke, as "several bags and several boxes" that they've opened are the same."

"Lipton uploaded their own video addressing the concerns that its tea contained worms. In response, a representative opened a tea bag and separated the tiny dried objects from the rest of the leaves, placing them in the bottom of a mug and adding hot water to them. They quickly dissolved and the water remained clear - definitely not something that worms do. Instead, the Lipton representative explained that these bits "are small lemon pieces" added to the tea."

Lipton is the number one tea brand in the world and was ranked third best in a roundup of 20 tea brands. In 2016, a viral video showed someone opening Lipton lemon-flavored green tea bags, pouring out loose tea, and pointing to small dried shapes while claiming they were "worms" across several bags and boxes. Lipton responded with its own video, separating the tiny dried objects, adding hot water, and showing they quickly dissolved and left the water clear. The company explained the bits are small lemon pieces or flavor crystals added to the tea and affirmed the product is produced to high standards and safe to drink.

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