Honest Tea to abandon kombucha category
According to reports, Honest Tea is quitting the kombucha market due to ambiguities in the regulatory framework. The company is concerned that the future of this category is uncertain given the continuous scrutiny from the US Trade and Taxation Bureau. Unpasteurized kombucha, a type of fermented tea, has attracted attention this summer due to the discovery of alcohol levels beyond legal limits for products sold as non-alcoholic beverages. Many companies scrambled to find solutions to get the alcohol levels below the 0.5% ABV limit after the drinks were pulled from supermarket shelves nationwide. Honest Tea was sourcing its kombucha beverages from High Country Kombucha, based in Colorado.