That stapler pin on your tea bag can spoil its benefits and be dangerous!

THAT STAPLER PIN ON YOUR TEA BAG CAN BE DANGEROUS: It’s a fact now that green tea is one of the healthiest drinks. We all have been hearing so much good about green tea for so long that it’s now properly settled in our minds. The moment someone says green tea, what comes to our mind is weight loss, good digestion, detoxification, antioxidants and everything sweet and healthy. It would be no less than a sin if we say that green tea is unhealthy. But have you ever noticed that stapler pin at the end of a tea bag with which you hold it? It is not just green tea but most of the tea sachets that you dip in water have a stapler pin with which the thread is attached. What if you are told that this stapler pin, if it gets into your tea, can do much more harm than the benefit green tea is giving you? So, here we bring to you the harms this stapler pin can do to your health.

THE BAN: The manufacturing, distribution, sale, storage and importing of stapled tea bags were ordered to be discontinued under Section (15) FSS Act, 2006, by the Food Authority, starting January 2018. Also, the unsafe packaging materials should not be strictly used, says the Food Authority of India.

WHAT TO USE: Instead of stapler pins, the companies should make knotted tea bags. Knotted tea bags still come in the market but in very small quantity. The tea bags contribute to 3-4 per cent by value of the total tea sale. But it is the fastest growing segment with 50-60 per cent increase every year.

WHAT NOT TO DO: People even put the stapled teabags in the cups and then heat it in a microwave. This should strictly not be done. The pins are metallic and thus, are harmful in nature.

CASES: There have been many reported cases where people swallowed the stapler pin from tea, sweets and other foods with stapled pins. This led to gum bleeding, internal bleeding in the stomach and damage in the food pipe in many. These type of incidents need immediate medical attention as any delay can lead to serious risk to a person’s health.

STAPLER PINS CAN BE POISONOUS: Stapler pins are made of galvanised iron. Galvanised iron is iron with zinc coating which prevents the iron from corroding. This iron, if swallowed, cannot be digested and can cause severe harm to the stomach's internal lining along with leading to bleeding. It can also be poisonous.

HARMS OF DIPPING STAPLER PINS IN HOT WATER: Even if you don't swallow stapler pins, there are studies that point out the harms of galvanized vessels. If the zinc compound is soluble in water, it can negatively affect your gastro-intestinal processes. The metal dust also has its harms and can cause pulmonary abnormalities. Though the quantity that you consume may be very less, it is best to follow a preventive approach.