Tea Recall Issued Nationwide As FDA Sets Risk Level

A nationwide voluntary recall for a chai tea product has been set at a Class II risk level by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) indicating a "potentially hazardous" issue that could pose health risks to consumers.

The tea manufacturer, My Chai Inc., based in Oregon , commenced the firm-initiated nationwide recall in August due to potential risks stemming from recorded pH levels above 4.1 and missing production records. Newsweek contacted My Chai Inc, via email outside of working hours for comment on Wednesday.

Class II recalls are issued when a product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences, or where the probability of serious health consequences is remote.

As stated in an official FDA document titled "Evaluation and Definition of Potentially Hazardous Foods:"

"Lowering the pH of a food increases the effectiveness of an organic acid as a preservative ... The type of organic acid employed can dramatically influence the microbiological keeping quality and safety of the food .

"It is well known that groups of microorganisms have pH optimum, minimum, and maximum for growth in foods ... As with other factors, pH usually interacts with other parameters in the food to inhibit growth.

"The pH can interact with factors such as aw [the amount of free water that is available in food for microbial growth] salt, temperature, redox potential, and preservatives to inhibit growth of viruses and other organisms.

"The pH of the food also significantly impacts the lethality of heat treatment of the food. Less heat is needed to inactivate microbes as the pH is reduced."

Newsweek contacted the FDA via email outside of working hours on Wednesday for comment.

Consumers who have purchased these products are encouraged to check their packaging for lot numbers associated with the recall.

Details of the recall are as follows:

Product Description:

MyChai Chai Tea Concentrate Original.

The product is packaged in plastic (HDPE) half-gallon bottle, the cap has a foil liner that is induction sealed during the bottling process.

Shelf stable 3-year expiration from date of manufacture.

Ingredients: Water, Sugar, Organic Black Tea, Organic Spices, Molasses, Vanilla Extract, Citric Acid, Natural Flavors.

Made by: MyChai, Inc. 1110 SE Centennial St. Suite 6, Bend, OR 97702.

Usage: Use 1:1 with milk or soy. Up until fall of 2023, expiration dates were two years from the date of production. In the fall of 2023, expiration dates were extended an additional year to three years from the production date.

Product Quantity:

Reason for Recall:

Acidified Chai Tea products are recalled because pH was found above 4.1 and lack production record.

Recall Number:

F-0106-2025

Code Information:

Batch numbers and Expiration Dates:

RC080321-MCO 8/3/23 RC110121-MCO 11/1/23 RC120521-MCO 12/5/23 RC020322-MCO 2/3/24 AH050322-MCO 5/2/24 AH061022-MCO 6/9/24 RC081222-MCO 8/11/24 RC122120-MCO 12/21/22 RC012320-MCO 1/22/22 RC111822-MCO 11/17/24 RC112322-MCO 11/22/24 RC120322-MCO 12/2/24 RC120922-MCO 12/8/24 RC022023-MCO 2/19/25 RC060123-MCO 5/31/25 RC101923-MCO 110/18/26 RC112823-MCO 11/27/26 RC122023-MCO 12/19/26 RC052124-MCO 5/21/27