Kombucha is trendy, healthy, and a truly blissful beverage.
A fermented fizzy tea with the goodness of probiotics not only tastes great but is also good for your body. With health and taste comes popularity. Anything popular has some less authentic versions in the market.
What if you have been consuming an overpriced iced tea such as kombucha?
Baffled? But don’t you worry?
Here’s how you can spot a fake kombucha and not compromise on quality and authenticity.
1. Zero % SUGAR
Check the label for nutritional content and ingredient list on the kombucha bottle. Any product claiming to have 0% sugar will taste like vinegar. Most probably it’s a big false claim especially if they have a certain sweetness to maintain the palatability. The best thing to do is to see if you can reach out to be a brewer.
2. Long Shelf life
Say a big no to SHELF-STABLE kombucha that does not need refrigeration. Kombucha is a fermented drink that needs refrigeration to slow down fermentation just like home-made yogurt or any freshly cooked meal at home. Without refrigeration, the authentic kombucha will continue to ferment and get fizzy and tartier with time. This Could also lead to the leaking of bottles. So, shelf-stable kombucha and ginger ales have zero live culture and are essentially just overpriced soft drinks without the much-talked-about health benefits.
3. Pasteurised kombucha
If your kombucha is pasteurized, there’s no point in having one as pasteurization kills all the yeast and bacteria(probiotics) that were meant to improve your gut health. There is your big red flag.
4. Clear kombucha
Watch out if your kombucha is 100% clear or has no sediments, if yes, it is indeed a fake one.
A real kombucha has sediments and floating components containing yeast, bacteria, and the remains of the fruits added for infusing flavors.
5. Pro-biotics
Kombucha is hailed by many because of its probiotic nature that provides the health benefits. Many producers claim their product to be pro-biotic, but check if the product is really what they claim it to be. It is better to have a kombucha without these exaggerated health claims.
Any real probiotics will contain Billions and Billions of CFU (Colony Forming Units).
Anything less than that is not probiotic.
Plus the values can vary tremendously in each batch and can be only consistent by fortification (the process of adding nutrients artificially).
That is why at MAVI’s Pantry we stay away from Such Claims unless we can prove them to our customers. Our Mantra for honesty:-