UNFI Suspends the Sale of Unpasteurized Kombucha Products
On Wednesday, June 16, UNFI halted the sale of unpasteurized Kombucha products, and recommended retailers also halt sales of those items. This action was taken when UNFI was made aware that unpasteurized Kombucha products may not meet federal regulations governing the sale and labeling of products containing alcohol. When our suppliers were asked to prove compliance with the regulations in question, they were unable to immediately do so. In fact, we have been informed that certain tests conducted showed many unpasteurized Kombucha products to contain in excess of .5% alcohol content by volume, the threshold above which products must include on their label the federal warning regarding the possible effects of alcohol.
The concerns are:
- Items with alcohol content above this .5% threshold may pose a danger to some consumers.
- Knowingly selling such items that do not meet labeling requirements is illegal.
- Retailers that sell items containing alcohol over this threshold are required to hold specific type(s) of retailing permits/licenses/bonding. Many of the retailers who purchase from UNFI and who do not have such permits face potential legal exposure. As well, many of our retailers who purchase product which should have the labels but don’t and are above the threshold could lose any permits/licenses they may have.
Read the full announcement >