Is ethanol in kombucha of concern or is it a KALAMITea?

Summary: Kombucha is a mildly sweet and acidic beverage considered to be a healthy alternative to sugary soda drinks. It is popular in Canada and other countries and in British Columbia locally produced and imported kombucha can be found for sale. Kombucha may contain residual alcohol from the multi-step fermentation process that converts sugar to alcohol. This session will review the public health significance of low levels of ethanol to the general population and to at risk groups. A survey of kombucha products will be presented along with a discussion of issues such as lack of labelling to inform on handling, whether alcohol is present and compliance with liquor regulations (beverages with 1% alcohol by volume [ABV] are considered alcoholic). Based on the survey results, some kombucha varieties do contain alcohol and do not have appropriate labelling to allow consumers to make an informed decision. A review of the discussion regarding the roles of Public Health Inspectors, the Liquor and Cannabis Regulatory Board will be presented from a provincial viewpoint, along with roles of federal partners, particularly in managing imported products and labelling issues. Presenters: Lorraine McIntyre is a Food Safety Specialist with Environmental Health Services at the BC Centre for Disease Control. Lorraine has worked at the BCCDC for 25 years, the first 10 years in provincial labs (water and food poisoning) and since 2005 has been with Environmental Health. She liaises with academia, industry and government stakeholders, creates best practice guidelines (for e.g. sous vide, food donation) and food safety assessment advice on topical issues. Within EH Lorraine’s role includes research and education, and she enjoys working with students at BCIT and UBC. She is currently chairing a national fermented foods working group and has 120 litres of cider brewing in her basement. Sung Sik Jang is a senior scientist of food safety in Environmental Health Services and joined the BCCDC last year. He received his Ph.D. for Food Microbiology at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia. Sung Sik is interested in the rapid detection of foodborne microorganisms. He worked in the dairy industry before BCCDC for 13 years. During his work in dairy companies, he led food safety research and product development.

BC CDC Presenters

9/29/2020 7:00:00 PM