Leading Chinese tea chain HeyTea is facing a huge controversy online after a recent test run by NetEase Finance. The test analysed popular “new style” Chinese tea products and their ingredients in relation to health and safety. The problem with HeyTea’s Supreme Brown Sugar Bobo Milk Tea is its trans fatty acid content, a harmful chemical often associated with hydrogenated fat, such as traditional margarine and non-dairy creamer. Modern products typically contain zero to negligible amounts of trans fat.
HeyTea quickly responded that the trans fatty acids come from real dairy milk rather than manmade chemicals. However, this did not convince many netizens, as some pointed out that the brand had explicitly promised zero trans fats in the past. Others noted that although HeyTea’s sample tested the highest, the trans fatty acid content remains below the national standard and is therefore compliant with regulations.
- #喜茶称反式脂肪酸最高证明真奶最多 HeyTea says the most trans fatty acid means the most real milk: 21.55 million views on Weibo, ranking number 5 on the Hot Search list
- #喜茶曾承诺0反式脂肪酸 HeyTea once promised 0 trans fatty acid: 7.59 million views on Weibo, ranking number 36 on the Hot Search list
This controversy is a serious problem for HeyTea, as one of its primary marketing pillars has been health. Not only was it an early advocate of ingredient transparency, but it also developed many health-centric products. With the majority of netizens unconvinced by its initial response, it will be crucial for HeyTea to carefully plan its next steps.
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