Kombucha Recalled Due to Possible Elevated Alcohol Content

July 19th, 2010 | Add a Comment

The girls at my sober living guzzle down Kombucha like it’s the elixir of ageless beauty. I’ve never tried the fermented tea myself, but celebrities such as Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Lindsay Lohan drink it for its health benefits.

The Chinese “wonder-drink” contains a mixture of green tea, black tea, and a sugar metabolized by yeast and bacteria. After sitting for 30 days, the yeast breaks down the sugar and mixes with the teas to produce minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants. Kombucha is said to increase metabolism, reduce cholesterol, and even fight the effects of ageing. Oddly enough, Kombucha has been said to cure alcoholism. This seems rather bizarre being that Kombucha contains alcohol.

GT Dave, owner of Synergy Drinks, has announced a recall after reports of elevated alcohol levels in Kombucha products. Most publicly, Linsday Lohan blamed Kombucha for setting off her SCRAM bracelet due to its alcohol content. GT Dave believes the elevated levels may be occurring after the product has been bottled and left their facility. Kombucha has been swept off the shelves of Whole Foods to determine if it has a higher alcohol percentage than 0.5%. If that is the case, the bottles would need new labels marking the alcohol content.

No wonder the girls in my sober living love it so much.