Tea's shelf life is related to the tea variety, and different teas have different shelf lives. For example, Pu'er tea and black tea are fully fermented products with a shelf life of up to 10~20 years. Therefore, the state does not set a shelf life for them. Similar teas include Wuyi rock tea and Guangxi's Liubao tea. As long as these teas are stored properly, they will not spoil but can even improve in quality.

Typically, the shelf life of sealed packaged tea ranges from 12 months to 24 months, while loose tea has a shorter shelf life.

To determine whether tea has expired, consider the following aspects: first, check for mold or stale odors; second, observe the color of the tea soup—for example, whether green tea has turned red or if the soup color has become brown or dark; third, taste the tea to assess its concentration, astringency, and freshness.

The above introduces how long the shelf life of tea is based on the properties of different teas. We hope this is helpful.