What the Chagee caffeine debate means for coffee culture

Chagee faced a public backlash over the caffeine content of its drinks after a December 26 Zhihu post went viral and the topic trended on social media, with some consumers reporting insomnia and palpitations. The brand replied that a cup of freshly brewed whole-leaf tea has caffeine comparable to a latte and less than an Americano, adding that tea components work together for a milder effect. Its U.S. stock briefly fell more than 15%, erasing over $200 million in market value.

The episode has pushed caffeine labeling and individual sensitivity into wider discussion. Some drinkers said they slept fine and pointed to the caffeine figures already printed on product pages and cup labels, while others called for clearer guidance. For coffee culture, the case highlights how tea drinks and americano coffee caffeine levels are now compared directly by consumers, and why transparent labeling matters when a brand's products sit close to coffee in stimulant content.

Recently, Chagee has found itself in a public opinion storm over the caffeine content of its drinks. On December 26, a post on Zhihu pushed the brand into the spotlight, and the topic "Chagee caffeine" soon trended on social media, with consumers sharing experiences of insomnia and palpitations after drinking its products. That evening, Chagee published a long response stating that the caffeine content of a cup of freshly brewed whole-leaf tea is comparable to that of a latte and lower than that of an Americano, while emphasizing that multiple components in tea work synergistically to create a mild and balanced effect. At the same time, the brand's U.S. stock fell by more than 15% at one point, wiping out over $200 million in market value. The incident triggered widespread discussion about caffeine content in tea drinks and individual differences.

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Recently, Chagee has frequently appeared in Weibo trending topics, with multiple brand-related topics sparking widespread discussion and attention across society.

The source of this controversy was a post published by a user on Zhihu on December 26. The user claimed that "the work stimulants now commonly used by the middle class, such as high-caffeine beverages like Chagee, are actually skirting the edge of quasi-drugs, only they adamantly refuse to admit it."

These remarks quickly triggered concern among many milk tea lovers, and the topic "Chagee caffeine" rapidly climbed onto the trending list. Many consumers who had purchased Chagee drinks shared their "post-drinking reviews" online.

Some netizens said that after drinking Chagee beverages they experienced difficulty falling asleep, insomnia, palpitations, and anxiety, questioning the relatively high caffeine content in its tea drinks. But another group said they had no problems such as insomnia after drinking them, believing that individual customers' physical discomfort should be attributed to personal physiological differences.

They also pointed out that Chagee clearly labels caffeine content on product sales pages and drink labels, so people sensitive to caffeine can simply choose low-caffeine products themselves to avoid discomfort after drinking.

As public opinion rapidly intensified, Chagee responded at noon on the 26th, saying it had "noticed rumors and false information circulating online targeting our company," and stating that its legal department had fully intervened and initiated legal proceedings, and would take legal measures against such illegal acts of maliciously fabricating facts and damaging the company's goodwill in order to protect its lawful rights and interests.

Not long after that response was published, the related remarks that initially sparked heated discussion were deleted, but public doubts about Chagee's drinks did not dissipate. Therefore, on the evening of the 26th, Chagee published a long post on its official Weibo account responding to the caffeine-related controversy.

In the long post, Chagee said that according to currently available public data and test results, the caffeine content of a cup of tea brewed from whole leaves, calculated per 100 ml of equal volume, is roughly comparable to that of a latte and lower than that of an Americano.

In addition, Chagee stated, "Tea has never contained only caffeine. The abundant active components in tea leaves, such as tea polyphenols and amino acids, as well as mineral elements needed by the human body such as potassium, manganese, magnesium, and zinc, together constitute tea's unique flavor and health value. These substances do not exist in isolation, but work synergistically with caffeine to form a mild yet complex balance."

It is worth mentioning that, affected by online public opinion, Chagee's U.S. stock fell by more than 15% at one point on December 26, with the share price hitting a new low since its listing in April this year. This news attracted attention from many investors, and the topic "Chagee plunges" topped the trending list on the morning of December 27. It is reported that as of the close on December 26, Chagee's total market value had fallen to $2.18 billion, with more than $200 million in market value evaporating overnight.

Image source: internet

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The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.