For Immediate Release: (Insert date)

Is your sun tea safe?

Sun tea is a popular form of iced tea, but is it safe? Not always. That's because the warmth of the sun combined with tea leaves and the moisture from the water can create ideal conditions for bacteria to grow and make people sick.

Instead of sun tea, try refrigerator tea. Put tea bags in a pitcher of cold water, and "brew" it overnight in the refrigerator instead of in the sun.

And there's always the old-fashioned way of making brewed iced tea. Bring water to a boil and remove from the heat. Steep tea bags in the hot water for three to five minutes. Remove tea bags and dilute with ice water.

Keep all tea refrigerated until you serve it. Discard tea that hasn't been consumed within 2-3 days.

Restaurants and other large food-service operations can find instructions for safe commercial production of iced tea on the Tea Association's website at http://www.teausa.com/general/teaassociation/603t.cfm.

Sources: "Bacteria-filled iced tea can cause illness," Fort Collins Coloradoan, June 12, 1996, Pat Kendall, Colorado State University Cooperative Extension Service; University of Wyoming Cooperative Extension Service, Suzanne Pelican, Nutrition Specialist, June 2003.

For more information contact (insert agency, name & phone number here) or check your University of Wyoming Cooperative Extension Service nutrition website at www.uwyo.edu/cesnutrition.

Wyoming Food Safety Coalition training members are from Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, University of Wyoming Cooperative Extension Service; Wyoming Department of Agriculture; and City/County Health Departments.

The University of Wyoming and United States Department of Agriculture cooperating.

The University of Wyoming is an equal opportunity/affirmative action institution.

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