Bigelow tea is safe for daily consumption. Independent testing by Consumer Reports found that leading tea brands, including Bigelow, showed few contaminants at concerning levels, and the overall results were “largely reassuring.” The company uses no artificial ingredients in most of its product lines, and its tea bags are free of the plastics that have raised microplastic concerns in other brands.
That said, there are a few nuances worth knowing, especially around fluoride levels in certain varieties and allergen ingredients that appear in a surprisingly long list of flavors.
Pesticides and Contaminants
Consumer Reports tested 30 black, green, and herbal teas from major brands including Bigelow, Lipton, Twinings, and others. Their lab work did detect some heavy metals, phthalates, and pesticides in the unbrewed leaves of several products, but the findings were not alarming. The researchers concluded that people can “drink tea without much concern about many key contaminants.”
Bigelow also offers an organic line for those who want to minimize pesticide exposure further. The Environmental Working Group reviewed the organic green tea with ginger variety and found no artificial or industrial ingredients, no added sugars, and a clean ingredient list of organic green tea, ginger, lemongrass, and licorice root.
Fluoride Levels Vary by Type
One safety detail that gets less attention is fluoride. Tea plants naturally absorb fluoride from soil, and it leaches into your cup during brewing. For Bigelow’s regular caffeinated teas, fluoride levels are modest. Earl Grey brewed for 5 minutes contains about 0.84 ppm of fluoride, English Tea Time about 1.27 ppm, and Plantation Mint about 1.14 ppm. These numbers climb with longer steeping but stay in a reasonable range.
Decaffeinated varieties tell a different story. Bigelow’s decaf Earl Grey starts at 5.20 ppm after just 5 minutes and reaches 6.15 ppm after two hours. Decaf Constant Comment and Cinnamon Stick fall in the 4 to 5 ppm range. These concentrations are roughly three to four times higher than their caffeinated counterparts. The decaffeination process is likely responsible, as it can concentrate fluoride in the leaves.
For most people drinking a few cups a day, this isn’t a problem. But if you’re consuming several cups of decaf Bigelow tea daily and also getting fluoride from tap water and toothpaste, the cumulative intake could become relevant over time. Excessive long-term fluoride consumption can affect bone and dental health. Sticking to two or three cups keeps you well within safe territory.
Tea Bags and Microplastics
Viral studies have shown that nylon and plastic tea bags can release billions of microplastic particles into a single cup. Bigelow has directly addressed this concern: the company does not use polypropylene, nylon, or PET in any of its tea bags.
About 90% of Bigelow tea bags are made from wood pulp and abaca fiber, a plant-based material. The remaining bags, including their pyramid-style versions, use plant-based starches from corn and sugarcane as sealants. All their tea bags are biodegradable and compostable, and the company states they do not release microplastics when steeped.
Soy Lecithin in Flavored Varieties
If you have a soy allergy, this is the section that matters most. Bigelow uses non-GMO soy lecithin in trace amounts across dozens of its flavored teas. The soy lecithin helps disperse flavoring evenly during brewing, and it appears as a sub-ingredient of the flavoring rather than a standalone addition.
The list of teas containing soy lecithin is long: Constant Comment Green Tea, French Vanilla, Vanilla Chai, Spiced Chai, Lemon Ginger, Chamomile Mint, Chamomile Lemon, Pumpkin Spice, all the green teas with fruit flavors (pomegranate, peach, mango, blueberry), and many others. Over 40 varieties contain it. If soy is a concern for you, check the packaging carefully, because it shows up in teas where you might not expect it.
Bigelow’s unflavored black teas, plain green teas, and simple herbal varieties like classic peppermint are generally soy-free options.
Caffeine Content
Bigelow’s caffeine levels are typical for bagged tea. Black teas contain 30 to 60 mg per 8-ounce cup, green teas contain 25 to 50 mg, and herbal teas are naturally caffeine-free. For comparison, an 8-ounce cup of coffee contains roughly 80 to 100 mg. Even at the higher end, Bigelow’s black teas deliver about half the caffeine of coffee, making them a moderate choice for most adults.
Bergamot Oil in Earl Grey
Earl Grey tea gets its distinctive citrus flavor from bergamot oil, and at normal consumption levels it poses no safety issue. There is one notable case report of a man who developed muscle cramps, tingling sensations, and blurred vision after drinking roughly a gallon of Earl Grey tea daily. His symptoms disappeared completely when he switched to plain black tea. The lesson here is about volume, not about the tea itself. A few cups of Earl Grey per day is perfectly fine.