Kombucha May Be Subject To Laws Governing Alcohol

Kim Severson at the New York Times' Diner's Journal:

Fans of kombucha know it packs a little kick, but perhaps too much of one? Earlier this week, Whole Foods Market pulled unpasteurized versions of the fermented tea from its shelves because the alcohol content might be high enough to attract attention from the government.

Then on Wednesday, the Treasury Department issued a warning stating that kombucha may be subject to the same taxes and regulations as other beverages containing alcohol. The agency said it "is coordinating with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ensure that kombucha products that are currently on the market comply with Federal laws.

Read the whole story: Kim Severson at the New York Times' Diner's Journal

Comments

[GrownupStewie]

01:17 AM on 07/01/2010

thanks lindsay lohan....you ruin everything

[Benjo333]

05:39 PM on 06/30/2010

It actually was pulled and relabeled at my Coop in Minnesota.

[walleymr]

10:00 AM on 07/03/2010

happend at the health food store where I live too

[Mark Montgomery]

05:11 PM on 06/30/2010

God Dammit.

[Poorsarah]

02:48 PM on 06/30/2010

the people are enjoying a beverage...we the govt better get our greedy little hands in on the action...

[climbing panda]

04:25 PM on 06/29/2010

re-gawdam-diculous. i've felt the buzz, but i had to drink half a bottle in one gulp to get it. the article cites that trade group, but their comments sound like some unions trying to bring companies, "into the fold."

there was a similar story in maine or someplace where a student freaked out cause the lemonade he bought was .05% alcohol like 7UP and sprite are, but they're not required to label it as such.

[GerryS]

09:21 PM on 06/28/2010

sounds nazty to me------------

[PolicyWonkette]

08:31 PM on 06/28/2010

I've never gotten drunk from a Kombucha.

[ianprib]

01:20 PM on 06/28/2010

No, I will not buy you Kombucha, go get a fake ID. Oh...I remember when I used to shoulder tap.

[jsarets]

09:04 AM on 06/28/2010

So they brew some tea, add sugar, and inoculate with a culture of Saccharomyces yeast and Acetobacter bacteria to ferment the sugar into alcohol and then vinegar. Okay...

This seems like the kind of product whose appeal is connected to its discovery before the advent of modern biochemistry. Now that we understand how fermentation works, we shouldn't be so mystified and attribute special curative powers to it.

I'll stick to my green tea with lemon glucose syrup. I like nutritional yeast (Saccharomyces) and yeast pastes of Candida (Vegemite) or Aspergillus (miso), but I'll have them with savory foods rather than refreshing beverages, thank you very much.

[pinkeyelemonade]

07:44 PM on 06/27/2010

I WANT to love this beverage! The health benefits consumers can get from one bottle are lovely, and it's ecologically sound when cultivated...but good gourd, does it taste awful. I even bought a second bottle in case I had just picked a bad flavor on my first try, but I just couldn't keep up with it. I don't remember much of an alcoholic taste to it, though...I guess it's straight from the source and is not like alcohol in the way most of us think of alcohol? Hmm...interesting. But I still collect the bottles.

[sauceruney]

02:03 PM on 06/27/2010

Kids would likely choose nyquil over komboucha tea, anyway.

[pinkeyelemonade]

07:39 PM on 06/27/2010

True that!!! Nasty stuff.

[hereinlou]

11:07 PM on 06/27/2010

...or rancid apple juice. This stuff is so gross to me.

[davidwayneosedach]

01:32 PM on 06/27/2010

I wonder if they have a Single Malt Komboucha?

[Synthon]

01:27 PM on 06/27/2010

Sad news. I really like Kombucha. It was hard enough to find it before, but if it gets regulated as an alcoholic beverage, then it will be impossible to find. :-(

[Angie Cordeiro]

11:58 PM on 06/26/2010

Great stuff, good for you and the good for the planet! "Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Save the World"

Paul Stamets - Mushrooms Save The World | Longevity Conference
http://www.longevityconference.com/paul-stamets-live-at-longevity-conference/

[hereinlou]

06:46 PM on 06/26/2010

Ick... I find this drink disgusting... I grabbed some on a sweltering hot day... thinking it was some sort of unsweetened iced-tea, I threw it back... I almost vomited.

[OceanSize]

07:23 PM on 06/26/2010

What's the matter? You don't find the taste of vinegar refreshing? :-P

[hereinlou]

08:11 PM on 06/26/2010

It definitely caught me off-guard :o!!!

[pinkeyelemonade]

07:40 PM on 06/27/2010

Like carrot-flavored soda!