News Bite: Kombucha

Earlier this summer, Whole Foods pulled all of its Kombucha varieties from store shelves after concerns that bottles contained more than 0.5 percent alcohol, the legal limit for a drink to not be considered alcoholic. Some producers claim that in order for the fermented tea beverage to remain in its authentic raw and unpasteurized state, a lower alcohol level cannot be attained. Yet Healdsburg, California-based Vibranz Beverages, whose Kombucha is the first to return to the market, has reformulated its organic, probiotic recipe so it conforms to FDA guidelines while continuing to offer the drink’s purported health benefits: increased energy, immunity protection, and the promotion of healthy digestive bacteria. “We were always watching the fermentation process as my partners’ backgrounds in making wine and hard ciders led us to the awareness that these drinks can over-ferment,” says president and co-founder, Kathy Taylor. Available in flavors like ginger, pomegranate, and blood orange, Vibranz is crafted by two award-winning winemakers, Robert and David Cordtz. www.vibranzbev.com – Alia Akkam