Simultaneous determination of eight catechins and four theaflavins in green, black and oolong tea using new HPLC-MS-MS method.

•A simple, rapid and accurate analytical method was developed for polyphenols with HPLC–MS/MS.•Good linear range, coefficient and recoveries were achieved.•This method can be used to evaluate the quality of foods and the health effects of various teas.•The concentration of tea polyphenols is not correlated with the quality of tea.