Safety Assessment, Toxicological Concerns, and Regulatory Frameworks Governing Herbal and Fruit Teas: A Mini Review

While herbal and fruit teas are widely perceived as safe, natural alternatives to caffeinated beverages, emerging research underscores the need for careful evaluation of their safety, toxicity, and regulatory oversight. Unlike conventional teas derived from Camellia sinensis, many herbal and fruit infusions are not subject to uniform global standards, raising concerns regarding quality control, dosage, contamination, and possible drug/herb interactions. Addressing these gaps requires coordinated research efforts that emphasize standardization of phytochemical composition, large-scale clinical trials, and rigorous safety assessments. Thus, long-term toxicological studies and pharmacovigilance systems are needed to establish comprehensive safety profiles for both common and emerging tea ingredients. Such efforts will not only bridge existing knowledge gaps but also position herbal and fruit teas as scientifically validated and globally relevant functional beverages.