Tea past its best-before date is often perfectly fine. That's precisely why you'll find it here. At SIRPLUS, you get affordable, rescued tea that not only tastes great but is also environmentally friendly. Read on to find out why it's worth it.
What does expired tea actually mean?
If the best-before date (BBD) on your tea package has passed, it doesn't mean you should throw it away. The BBD on tea simply indicates how long manufacturers guarantee 100% consistent aroma, color, and taste, and usually includes a very long buffer before any difference in taste becomes noticeable. For a dry product like tea, "expired" usually just means: no worries. Sometimes the intensity of the flavor decreases slightly, but don't worry, you usually won't notice it, and it takes a very long time for a product to become truly inedible. Greenpeace even conducted a study on BBDs, and they found that a yogurt was still perfectly edible 270 days after its BBD.
Unlike the use-by date on raw meat, for example, tea – whether green, fruit, or herbal – often remains enjoyable for years beyond its best-before date if stored correctly. Many teas are kept in a tea caddy anyway – stored in a cool, dry place, nothing much happens to them.
Tea after the best-before date – how long does it really keep?
How long does tea keep after the best-before date? It depends entirely on the type of tea and how it was stored. Black and green teas often keep for years. Herbal and fruit teas may lose their aroma more quickly, but this doesn't mean they've gone bad.
Did your tea expire 5 years ago? Then it's still drinkable if it was stored dry, airtight, and without moisture. And yes, there are even teas that can be brewed without any problems 10 years after their expiration date. Perhaps not super aromatic anymore, but still enjoyable.
The rule of thumb: smell, look, taste. The tea will tell you whether it's still good.
Here's how to check if your expired tea is still good.
No expiration date can tell you whether tea is still drinkable after its expiration date as well as a quick sensory check. It takes 30 seconds and saves you from throwing it away.
👉 Quick check for old tea:
- Appearance : No discoloration, no foreign particles – perfect.
- Scent : Does it smell pleasant or barely noticeable? Good.
- Taste : Doesn't taste like cardboard? Then you can drink it.
Why we sell expired tea at SIRPLUS
Every minute, a truckload of food is wasted in Germany alone! Tons of perfectly good food end up in the trash – simply because a date has passed. But what about your tea? It's expired, but how long will it actually keep? Often much longer than you think.
We inspect every tea before it reaches the shop. Aroma, appearance, condition – only what's truly perfect is sold. This way, we collectively conserve resources, avoid waste, and make sustainability easier than ever before.
At SIRPLUS, you get certified quality at a low price and do something good at the same time. Sounds fair? We think so too.
When tea is expired – what confuses many and how we can do better together
Expensive, wasteful, confusing – that's how sustainable consumption feels to many. And then there's the "expired tea" label on the package. What to do? You're not alone. Price, best-before date confusion, uncertainty – we encounter all of this daily. That's why we do things differently: We speak plainly, check carefully, and show you transparently what you can expect. You don't get "leftovers," but quality products with a story. And with every order, you help conserve resources, reduce CO₂ emissions, and make wholesome meals possible.
Together we show that consumption can make sense – for you and for many others.
Expired tea as a statement: This is how zero waste becomes easy
With every tea you buy from us, you help save food. And not only that: you save CO₂, avoid waste, and with every order, you simultaneously fund two school meals in Africa. All this simply by giving a second chance to a product past its best-before date when it comes to tea . It sounds small, but it makes a difference. Zero waste starts right here, with you, with us – a little more with every sip.
Is your tea expired? Just try it!
Just because tea is past its best-before date doesn't mean it belongs in the trash. Quite the opposite: many teas past their best-before date are still perfectly fine – and at a great price. With every purchase, you can make a difference: enjoy, save money, and easily help reduce food waste.
👉 Browse our tea category and discover rescued varieties that have more to offer than their date suggests.
