Tea beverages sold at major franchise cafes in Korea contain far more sugar and caffeine than consumers might expect, with significant variation across brands, according to a new study.
The Korea Consumer Agency announced Tuesday that it tested 12 tea beverages from major Korean franchise cafes, including six matcha and green tea lattes and six milk teas. Sugar content per cup ranged from 26 to 55 grams, equivalent to 26% to 55% of the recommended daily nutritional intake of 100 grams.
The product with the highest sugar content was Ediya Coffee's matcha latte, containing 55 grams per cup. Considering that a 355-milliliter can of Coca-Cola contains 38 grams of sugar, a single cup of Ediya's matcha latte is equivalent to roughly one and a half cans of cola. By contrast, Starbucks' Jeju Matcha Latte contained 26 grams of sugar, less than half the amount in Ediya's product.
Saturated fat levels also raised concerns. Some products contained up to 11.9 grams of saturated fat, or 79% of the daily recommended intake of 15 grams, raising concerns that drinking multiple cups per day could lead to nutritional imbalance and obesity.
The agency recommended that consumers use sugar-level adjustment options when ordering. However, among the six brands surveyed, Mega MGC Coffee, Paik's Coffee, and Compose Coffee do not offer sugar-level adjustment options on their mobile apps.
Some Milk Teas Contain More Caffeine Than Americanos
Caffeine content also exceeded consumer expectations. Caffeine per cup of tea beverage ranged from a minimum of 45 milligrams to a maximum of 172 milligrams—a fourfold difference between products—accounting for 11% to 43% of the recommended maximum daily intake for adults of 400 milligrams.
In particular, some milk teas exceeded the average caffeine content of an Americano (132 milligrams). Notable examples include Starbucks Classic Milk Tea (172 milligrams) and A Twosome Place Royal Milk Tea (148 milligrams). For pregnant women, drinking just two cups of these products per day could exceed the recommended maximum daily intake of 300 milligrams, requiring particular caution.
Variation in serving sizes also came under scrutiny. Even for the same product from the same brand, actual serving volumes varied by store, with differences ranging from 36 milliliters to 119 milliliters. Consumers paying the same price may receive smaller quantities or experience different tastes each visit, prompting calls for franchise headquarters to urgently revise their preparation guidelines.
On the safety front, there were no concerns. None of the products contained any of three types of residual pesticides or metal contaminants tested for, meeting all food safety standards.
"Tea beverages such as matcha lattes and milk teas are easy for consumers to consume in large quantities without thinking, but caution is needed because of their high caffeine and sugar content," a Korea Consumer Agency official said. "We will continue to provide quality information on various food products through the 'Consumer 24' portal to help consumers make rational choices."
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