Synergy GT Kombucha Tea other glass bottles or jars

The reports, as CPSC published them

1. No one hurt

   Made Jan 31, 2017 · , sent to the company Feb 27, 2017 · , published by CPSC Mar 13, 2017

   The product, in the report: GT Kombucha Tea Cherry Chia 16oz glass bottle

   Product: GT Kombucha Tea Cherry Chia 16 oz glass bottle Manufacturer: Millenium Products Inc. Website: www.GTSkombucha.com

   This product poses a serious safety hazard if it is opened after the expiration date due to the fact that it is a fermented tea beverage (although the word fermented does not appear anywhere on the label) which over time produces alcohol and carbon dioxide gas. As a direct result of this ongoing fermentation process, pressure will build up from the excess carbon dioxide gas to extreme levels such that when the plastic cap is opened, the entire contents of the bottle will be expelled in what can best be described as an explosive manner which is potentially dangerous to the consumer and anyone in the vicinity.

   I know this because this is exactly what happened to me yesterday when I went to dispose of a bottle of GT Kombucha tea which had been in the back of my refrigerator and well past its expiration date of 04/03/16 on the bottle cap. When I began to twist the cap, the contents of the bottle suddenly and violently exploded outward covering me and two others nearby with a foul alcoholic smelling liquid and chia seeds. This all happened in a fraction of a second without any warning. Fortunately I did not drop the bottle and the glass remained intact. I would estimate the blast radius at about 10 feet which even reached the ceiling. It took about an hour to clean up this mess after which I called the manufacturer at the phone number listed on the bottle (877-735-8423).

   The agent appeared to be aware of this problem because she instructed me to look on the back label and read the fine print claiming that it stated that this was a fermented drink. However, when I looked for this information, it was no where to be found. In fact, no where on the bottle does it state that this is a fermented drink, nor the contents are under pressure and therefore caution should be exercised when opening. There is also no warning to not open the bottle after the expiration date due to danger posed by the high pressure build up. The only labeling in bold face states KEEP REFRIGERATED, HIGHLY PERISHABLE, SHAKE GENTLY. There is absolutely no warning or indication of any sort on the bottle that the contents could be under extreme pressure and therefore be dangerous to consumer if opened.

   I am very concerned about the manufacturer’s cavalier attitude about this product basically blaming me for not consuming it before the expiration date and not knowing that it was a fermented product which could be under pressure even though this information did not appear on the label. I had no intention of consuming this product because I knew it was well past the expiration date but I still should have been able to dispose of it in a safe manner without it exploding on me. I was also fortunate that I opened it over the kitchen sink - had this been done in a car while driving, an accident would had been a certainty.

   This is clearly an unsafe product which I believe should be immediately recalled because it poses a serious threat to the safety of unsuspecting consumers and the manufacturer appears to be completely oblivious to this problem and unwilling to take any measures beyond blaming their customers for not knowing the chemistry of Kombucha tea fermentation. Other fermented products, such as jarred Korean Kim-Chee, is clearly labled as not only being fermented but also that the contents can be under pressure. They are also often packaged in a plastic contain which will allow excess gasses to vent before reaching dangerous levels. Such is not the case with GT Kombucha Tea which is contained in a 16 oz glass bottle capable of withstanding enormous pressures. This product is quite literally a ticking time-bomb which builds up enormous pressure over time while it converts to alcohol. This process is entirely invisible to the consumer - the beverage looked perfectly normal when I took it out of the refrigerator and there was no warning about the contents being under extreme pressure.

   In its current form, GT Kombucha Tea is unsafe and a threat to the safety of unsuspecting consumers due to its lack of any warning labels and the design of the bottle which allows the CO2 gas to build up to danger levels without venting. This can be corrected by adding clear warning labels on the front of the bottle to not consume or open after the expiration date due to the dangers of the content being under pressure as well as containing excess levels of alcohol. In addition, the cap can be redesigned to contain a 1-way valve to vent excess gas - this is not a carbonated beverage so venting CO2 will have no adverse affect on the product quality.

   I hope the CPSC will take immediate action to recall this dangerous product and require the manufacturer to take the necessary steps to make it safe for the public before it can resume selling it. This product is widely available in large grocery chains including Whole Foods, Target, Kroger, Safeway, etc and therefore poses a large risk to the public.

   Model

   16oz Cherry Chia

   UPC

   22430 1901

   Bought from

   unknown, Washington

   Where

   Bellevue, Washington: Home/Apartment/Condominium

   Who was involved

   Age 56, Male

   The reporter’s relation to them

   Self

   As this report names them

   Brand Synergy GT Kombucha Tea, made or sold by Millennium Products, Inc.

   How badly, in CPSC’s words

   Incident, No Injury

CPSC’s disclaimer

Sources