The quality of aged White Tea is influenced not only by its raw materials and processing techniques but also largely depends on how it's stored. If storage conditions are inadequate, a seven-year-old white Tea can lose its value and become worthless.
Recently, the Fujian Provincial Tea Industry Standardization Technical Committee, in collaboration with Tea Talk Media, invited Senior Engineer Shang Hu from the Department of Tea Science, College of Horticulture, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, to share a lecture titled “Group Standard – Household White Tea Storage Technical Regulations” in the Tea Talk live stream. The purpose was to share knowledge about household storage and guide tea enthusiasts on optimizing their storage conditions to promote the transformation of white tea towards better quality during storage.
Standard for Household White Tea Storage Technical Regulations
Opportunity and Significance of Formulation
The “Household White Tea Storage Technical Regulations” (T/CSTEA00028-2025) standard was approved for publication and implementation by the Cross-Straits Tea Industry Exchange Association on August 8, 2025. Let's explore the reasons behind its creation:
In recent years, the production and sales volume of white tea have reached new heights. As one of the six major tea categories in China, white tea originated in Fujian Province and is mainly produced in cities like Fuding, Zhenghe, Jianyang, and Songxi in Fujian. Currently, the development situation of the national white tea industry is promising. Apart from Fujian, provinces such as Yunnan, Sichuan, Guizhou, Hunan, and Guangxi have become emerging producers of white tea.
△ Image Source: PowerPoint Content from Shang Hu's Lecture on “Group Standard – Household White Tea Storage Technical Regulations”
Besides the increasing production and sales, market demand has also been a driving force behind the formulation of this standard. In recent years, there has been a surge in the popularity of collecting white tea, leading to an increase in market demand, which further promotes the development of the white tea industry. However, unlike professional tea production companies that have specialized warehousing facilities and technical personnel, the storage conditions for household storage vary widely, causing quality degradation in white tea and resulting in significant economic losses for consumers. Therefore, the formulation of the “Household White Tea Storage Technical Regulations” standard plays a significant role in guiding household white tea storage technology to meet planning requirements, improving the quality of white tea stored at home, and protecting consumer rights.
The Mysteries Behind Aged White Tea
What Lies Behind?
Why does white tea undergo aging? Why do some teas improve during storage while others deteriorate? To understand how to store white tea properly, we need to delve into the mechanisms of white tea aging, learn about the chemical transformations that occur during the aging process, and gain insights into the changes in quality. This will enable us to formulate household white tea storage regulations accordingly.
△ Image Source: PowerPoint Content from Shang Hu's Lecture on “Group Standard – Household White Tea Storage Technical Regulations”
From the above image, we can clearly see the changes in the content of internal substances in white tea during the aging process. During the storage of white tea, polyphenol oxidase and other biological enzymes continuously act on the tea, transforming the polyphenols, Caffeine, amino acids, lipids, carbohydrates, etc., contained in the tea into aromatic compounds, theaflavins, thearubigins, and other substances. During the aging reaction of white tea, the quality style undergoes significant changes, developing distinct flavors and becoming smoother and more durable when brewed. Additionally, flavonoids in aged white tea increase annually, enhancing its Health benefits.
Four Essential Conditions for Storing White Tea
There are many aspects to consider when storing white tea, but the following four are crucial:
01 Temperature
During the storage of tea, the higher the temperature, the faster the oxidation rate of the internal substances in the tea, and thus the faster the aging process. For every 10-degree Celsius increase in temperature, browning accelerates three to five times. Accelerated aging is not conducive to the stable transformation of white tea quality; therefore, the temperature should be controlled at ≤35°C.
02 Humidity
The higher the relative humidity of the environment, the higher the moisture content of the tea, and the faster the oxidation reactions of the internal substances. The heat released by these oxidation reactions increases the temperature of the tea, promoting the reactions and accelerating the aging process. Research shows that when the air humidity exceeds 60%, the color of the tea darkens and the quality degrades. Therefore, appropriate measures should be taken within the storage room to ensure that the environmental humidity is controlled at ≤60%.
△ Image Source: PowerPoint Content from Shang Hu's Lecture on “Group Standard – Household White Tea Storage Technical Regulations”
03 Light
Tea is sensitive to light. Chlorophyll b in tea easily decomposes under light exposure, causing the tea to darken in color. Unsaturated fatty acids oxidize under light, producing aldehydes, ketones, and alcohols, which lower the quality of the tea and may even render it undrinkable. Therefore, white tea should be stored away from direct sunlight and protected from light.
04 Air Quality
In the presence of oxygen, polyphenols and Vitamin C in tea are easily oxidized and degraded. Therefore, during the storage of white tea, it should be sealed to prevent prolonged contact with air and accelerate oxidation.
Other Key Points in the Standard
What Else Should Be Noted?
Shang Hu stated that based on investigating the factors affecting the quality transformation of aged white tea, the drafting team formulated the “Household White Tea Storage Technical Regulations” standard aimed at consumers. The goal was to provide guidance on storing white tea in a concise and easy-to-understand manner.
Shang Hu also summarized key points for household storage of white tea mentioned in the standard:
01 Three-Layer Packaging Method
This is a comprehensive packaging method, using food-grade plastic bags, aluminum foil bags, cartons, wooden boxes, etc., for layer-by-layer packaging. The packaging must exclude air and seal the bag opening tightly.
△ Image Source: PowerPoint Content from Shang Hu's Lecture on “Group Standard – Household White Tea Storage Technical Regulations”
02 Product Procurement
It is advisable to purchase products from manufacturers with SC certificates, and the moisture content of white tea products should be controlled at ≤5%.
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