Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the caffeine content of the various Good Earth Teas?
• The ingredients are not the same on the new cartons as they are on the old cartons. Have the blends changed?
• What is the difference between the All Natural and the Artificial Flavored Good Earth Original Tea?
• Why do some Good Earth teas have artificial flavors?
• What is the artificial ingredient in the Original Sweet and Spicy Tea?
• What are the brewing instructions for the Good Earth Original bulk blends?
• Who do I contact for information on Good Earth Restaurants?
• How do you decaffeinate your teas?
• Are Good Earth Teas Kosher Certified?
• Do your teas contain MSG or Gluten?
• What makes Good Earth Tea taste so sweet?
• Where are your teas sourced from, and how do you guarantee safety?
• Are your packages recyclable?
• Why do you envelope your teas?

What is the caffeine content of the various Good Earth Teas?

The following are the caffeine contents of our best selling teas: (Compared to 125 mg. caffeine in an 8 oz cup of coffee)
Black Tea:	50mg caffeine per 8 oz. cup
Green Tea:	30mg caffeine per 8 oz. cup
White Tea:	20mg caffeine per 8 oz. cup
Gingseng Green Tea:	18mg caffeine per 8 oz. cup
Decaffeinated Teas:	4mg caffeine per 8 oz. cup
Red Teas:	0mg caffeine per 8 oz. cup
Herbal Teas:	0mg caffeine per 8 oz. cup

The ingredients are not the same on the new cartons as they are on the old cartons. Have the blends changed?

The tea blends have not changed, they are the same teas you know and love, with the exception of one item - Sweet and Spicy Red Tea, which we changed to an all natural formulation in line with the rest of our range. However, when we changed designs we did expand the ingredients lists on some products to split out more of the individual ingredients in response to enquiries from customers wanting to know more about the products they were putting into their bodies.

What is the difference between the All Natural and the Artificial Flavored Good Earth Original Tea?

The all-natural flavors bring out a more pronounced anise note to the tea and is made for the specialty and health food markets. The packaging has an "All Natural - Rich Flavor" stamp, as you see below.

Why do some Good Earth teas have artificial flavors?

We believe strongly in using natural ingredients whenever possible. All our flavors are available in all natural or organic formulations.

All new products that we develop are, either, all natural or certified organic.

However, a few of our oldest blends do contain an artificial flavor. This is due to consumer demand. We offer all natural alternatives of these blends. Due to the bolder taste, some customers prefer the version that contains an artificial flavor.

Our teas do not contain MSG, gluten, natural or artificial sweeteners or preservatives.

What is the artificial ingredient in the Original Sweet and Spicy Tea?

There is only one artificial ingredient in used in our Sweet and Spicy tea in order to provide a stronger, bolder flavor. The artificial flavor is an artificial spice flavor, since it does help provide a unique flavor, we keep the details proprietary. Please contact our customer service department for questions on specific medical concerns. Our Original Sweet and Spicy blend is also available in both All Natural and Organic versions.

What are the brewing instructions for the Good Earth Original Bulk Blends?

Recommended Brewing Instructions:

1. Using 1 oz. of original tea blend, brew in a Mr. Coffee as you would coffee, using the 8-10 cup amount of water.
2. For a single serving, put one teaspoon of tea blend in a tea strainer, set in cup, pour boiling (near boiling) water to fill cup, let steep for 3 minutes.

Our 4 oz. bulk blend yields approximately thirty-eight 8 oz. cups. The 10 lb. bulk blend yields approximately 1520 cups. Good Earth loose bulk tea should be stored in a cool dark place in an airtight container.

Who do I contact for information on Good Earth Restaurants?

For your information and reference, we have a licensee who has exclusive rights for restaurant operations under the Good Earth trademark. We recommend you contact them to see if they would have an interest in discussing your idea.

Mr. Pete Mihajlov
Parasole Restaurant Group
Minneapolis, MN
Phone: 612-822-0016

How do you decaffeinate your teas?

We decaffeinate our teas using two primary methods. Our Green Tea, White Tea, Organic White, Organic Green and Organic Black teas are CO2 decaffeinated. This process involves putting the tea leaves into water and adding liquid carbon dioxide. When the water and carbon dioxide are drained off, the caffeine washes away too, leaving a decaffeinated tea leaf. Our All Natural Black Tea is decaffeinated using ethyl acetate (EA). Both methods are approved by the FDA and are designed to remove the caffeine from the leaves while leaving the flavor and antioxidants intact.

Are Good Earth Teas Kosher Certified?

Our teas are Kosher certified by the Orthodox Union.  

Do your teas contain MSG or Gluten?

Our teas do not contain MSG or Gluten. They contain no dyes, barley, wheat or wheat by-products.

What makes Good Earth Tea taste so sweet?

Our teas have no added sweeteners in the formula. They do not contain any sugar, artificial sweeteners or preservatives. Any perceived sweetness in the tea is due to the combination of spices and citrus components in the herbs and oils.

Where are your teas sourced from, and how do you guarantee safety?

We source our teas, herbs and spices from a variety of locations around the world. These tea growing areas include China, India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and others. Our main focus has been to work with reliable growers with whom we have longstanding relationships. This includes visiting and inspecting the production on-site personally or through our brokers or agents. Good Earth Tea has a rigorous testing policy for teas and herbs from growing areas of known concern.

Are your packages recyclable?

Yes. All our cartons are produced from 100% rcycled board (at least 60% post consumer material and often up to 90%), and are printed with soy based inks. All our blends are packed in unbleached tea bags and even the tea tags are recycled. The new cartons are marked with these symbols:

If you have a carton with the old graphics, these too are recyclable, just remove the outer wrapping. In 2008, we eliminated the plastic overwrap on the cartons in place of a small adhesive label to keep the carton closed.

Why do you envelope your teas?

What makes Good Earth teas different are the rich, full-flavored teas we blend. Rather than take pre-mixed blends off the shelf like other companies, we hand mill ingredients on site where possible and blend using liquid flavors for a richer taste. We leave the blends to marinate, sometimes for up to 3 days, to really bring the flavor out. It's not the easy solution but we think it's worth taking the extra time to get the flavor just right. When the blends are ready, we pack the tea into teabags and wrap them in foil envelopes to maintain freshness and "lock in" the flavor. Without the envelopes, the flavor would gradually decline resulting in a bland, weaker tea. The envelope material is a mixture of paper, foil and plastic specially chosen to protect these flavors. Unfortunately the envelopes are not currently recyclable and the recyclable materials available (e.g. paper) do not provide sufficient barrier to lock in the flavor over time. However, our aim is to reduce our environmental impact wherever possible and we have an ongoing project with our suppliers to find more environmentally friendly materials. When we get a viable solution, we'll be sure to let you know.