Tea bags production
Tea bags production is a very lucrative and rewarding enterprise. All tea emanate from a common tea plant however the difference between them is fully, partial or no oxidation.
Some are cured, burned dried with different flavors added to the mix. This offers a vastly different profile in look, taste, flavor or smoothness. Tea is drank either hot or cold with ancient origins found in China (small-leaf)/large-leaf) tea, India, Tibet, Myanmar. The first recorded Chinese tea is dated back 59BC.
Worldwide Production of Tea
In 2017 China (2.5 million tonnes) was the largest producer of tea followed by India (1.3 Million Tonnes). Other notable tea producing countries are Kenya (0.44 million tonnes) Sri Lanka (0.35 million tonnes) and Vietnam 0.25 million tonnes) res world 6.1 million tonnes)
Labor
Labor laws prohibit the use of child labor which is still common place in many regions. Tea harvesting is labor intensive and requires many experienced hands to pick the leaves. There are however machineries used in large farm to hasten the harvest process.
Land
Tea planting requires vast amount of land in best growth regions. A processing factory is best established close to farm land for best management and good quality control. Factory requires include abundant electricity, water and good road network. The flour plan needs to accommodate equipment, storage and loading stations.
License and Certification for Tea bags production
There are different bodies that independently certify tea production. Certified bodies include UTC certification, Organic certification, Fairtrade certification or Rainforest Alliance. There are also food and drug identification number, local state taxes. The investor needs to incorporate, secure funding, get insurance, and join an association.
Pests and diseases
The tea plant is susceptible to different pests and diseases. Pest include mosquitos, bugs, lepidopteron leaf feeders or tea diseases. Prevention include spraying of leaf with approved non-toxic pesticides.
- Mosquitos
- Bugs
- lepidopteron leaf feeders
- tea diseases
Chemical content of tea
Caffeine constitutes 3% of tea with small amounts of theophylline, theobromine. It has fluorides, presence of polyphenols (flavonoids, catechins) 30%.
Types of tea
All types of tea is made from the Camellia Sinensis plant which is native to Asia. However cultivation of the plant is common in most geographical regions of the world. There are different types of tea based on the geographical region, growth conditions and method of processing. Different tea are black tea, green tea, Oolong tea, white tea Puer tea, dark tea.
Dark Tea and Puer Tea
Dark tea is often compressed into brick/cake shapes has a natural smoothness and found in Sichuan or Hunan areas of China. Puer tea is found in Yunnan Southwest region of China. There are 2 verities the shu puer and sheng puer. Sheng puer is non-oxidized tea that change naturally with time. While Shu puer is Sheng puer that is accelerated through deliberate fermentation process to age quicker than the natural way.
White tea and Oolong Tea
White tea are a picked leaves gently dried till finished. The tea is bulky undergone no processing and not reshaped. Oolong tea undergo baking and partial oxidation of 10% to 90%.
Green Tea and Black Tea
Green tea are leafy green leaves prevented from oxidation through a rapid heat process. They are steeped for shorter periods at low temperature to reduce the light tea. Black tea are tea leaves that are allowed to fully oxidize during the production process this characterizes the black colored leaf robust flavor
Types of tea
Puer Tea
- White Chocolate Puer tea
- 2013 Shu Puer tea
- Sticky Rice Puer tea
- 2019 Ms. Zhao’s Sheng Puer tea
White tea
- Jasmine silver needle white tea
- White peony white tea
- Machu peach-u white tea
- Silver needles white tea
Oolong tea
- Golden Dawn Oolong tea
- Strawberry Oolong tea
- Big Red Robe Oolong tea
- Iron Goddess of Mercy Oolong tea
Green Tea
- Lavender Jasmine Green Tea
- Green Mao Jian Green Tea
- Green Mango Green Tea
- Karigane Green Tea
Black tea
- Minnesota N’ice Tea Black Tea
- Earl Grey White Tip Black Tea
- Lumbini FBOP Black Tea
- Golden Buddha Black Tea
Cost of Tea (In 2020)
Dark tea costs $14 for 4 ounces while Fu Cha dark tea brick costs $17. Puer Tea price range is from $9 to $22 depending on the brand type. White Chocolate Puer White costs $9 for 4 ounces while 2013 Shu Puer tea $9 for 4 ounces.
Sticky Rice Puer tea costs $5.50 for 2 ounces, 2019 Ms. Zhao’s Sheng Puer tea costs $22.50 for 2 ounces. White tea are more expensive than Puer tea because the cost from $2.50 an ounce to $20.5 an ounce.
Jasmine silver needle costs $13.50 for 2 ounces, white Peony white tea $13 for 4 ounces. Machu peach-u white tea costs $10 per 4 ounces while silver needles white tea costs $41 per 2 ounces.
Oolong tea include Golden Dawn Oolong tea $9 4 ounces, Strawberry Oolong tea 49 4 ounces. Big Red Robe Oolong tea $16 4 ounces, Iron Goddess of Mercy Oolong tea $11 for 4 ounces.
Lavender Jasmine Green Tea $9 for 4 ounces, Green Mao Jian Green Tea $9 for 4 ounces. Others are Green Mango Green Tea $9 for 4 ounces and Karigane Green Tea $6.50 for 2 ounces.
We have Minnesota N’ice Tea Black Tea $9 for 4 ounces, Earl Grey White Tip Black Tea $12 for 4 ounces. More are Lumbini FBOP Black Tea $9 for 4 ounces, Golden Buddha Black Tea $20 for 4 ounces.
Cultivation and Harvesting Tea Plant
Camellia Sinensis is cultivated in tropical or subtropical regions of the world. Some verities tolerate to marine climates are found far as New Zealand, Australia, Canada, and United Kingdom. Two main verities are cultivated for tea bag production Camellia sinensis var. sinensis and sinensis var. assamica. We have tea with large –leaf, those with small-leaf and hybrid between large and small-leaf.
An average tea plant grows 52 ft. undisturbed however pruning to waist height is a common practice. This is to encourage more shoots, tender leaves and better tea quality. During harvesting the farmers pick only mature top 1-2 inches leaves.
Within 2 weeks the plant will grow new flushes (leaves and buds) during growth season. Slow developing leaves are believed to have better quality, nice flavor and delicious taste.
Tea bags production process
Tea bags are classified into White, Yellow, Green Oolnog, Black or Dark depending on the method of processing. Tea processing method that define the outcome are unoxidation, unwillted, partially oxidized. Others are wilted, bruised, crushed, fully oxidized fermented.
Processes
- Unoxidation
- Unwillted
- partially oxidized
- wilted
- bruised
- crushed
- fully oxidized fermented
Tea Processing
Things that affect type of tea are oxidize, wilt, dried heat treatment presence of enzymes. White tea is achieved though wilted and unoxidized process while green tea is made from unwilted and unoxidzed process.
Oolong tea is wilted, bruised and partially oxidized while yellow tea is unwillted and oxidized yet allowed to turn yellow. Dark tea is post-fermented green tea with predetermined stage of heating. Black tea are generally achieved through fully oxidized, crushed and wilted process.
Additional processing
Apart from the general methods of oxidize/unoxidize, wilted/unwilted additional processes are included including additives. Additional processing includes adding of flavor, blending, and adding milk.
Tea blending involves blending different teas to create a unique product. This type of tea attracts premium price have good consistency better taste. Different flavor added to tea are vanilla, spearmint, mint leaves, dried ginger, bergamot, cardamom.
Tea bag machinery and materials
Materials needed in the production process are tea filter paper, tags, envelops. Others are threads, tea, fruit, wire, herbal infusions. Machines are teabag machines, end of line equipment, conveyor system.
Tea bag machinery
Machines include pouch/stick machine, Filling/sealing machine, conveying systems end of line machines, teabag machines.
- Automatic Tea Grinding Machine
- HB-11 Tea Bag Packaging Machine
- HB-18 Tea bag packaging machine
- herbal tea & loose tea packaging machine
- HB-05 Tea pouch packing machine
- HB-10 Tea Bag Packaging Machine
- Tea pod packaging machine
- Tea Packaging Materials
- Double Chamber Teabag Packing Machine
- HB-03 Pyramid Tea Bag Packing Machine
Teabag Packaging
There are different packaging of tea depending on the manufacturer. We have regular tea bags, sachet rounded tea bags, loose tea, compressed tea, bottled/canned tea, instant tea.