FDA Confirms Voluntary Recall of Yogi Brand ‘Immune Support’ Tea

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration in White Oak, Md., on June 5, 2023. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) confirmed the voluntary recall of 54,846 packages of Yogi brand tea, amounting to over 877,000 individual tea bags, due to concerns about pesticide contamination.

The recalled products are Organic Yogi Echinacea Immune Support and Yogi Echinacea Immune Support, manufactured by East West Tea Company from Eugene, Oregon. The items were recalled because “pesticide residues were detected above action levels,” according to the FDA report.

The products had been distributed nationwide.

The Organic Yogi Echinacea Immune Support comes with 16 tea bags per pack and four packs per box, with a UPC code of 0 76950 45010 3. The Yogi Echinacea Immune Support also comes with 16 tea bags per pack and six packs per box, with a UPC code of 0 76950 45010 3.

On May 10, the FDA classified the recall as a Class III recall, which is issued when the “use of, or exposure to, a violative product is not likely to cause adverse health consequences.” The company began the recall on March 12 and it is ongoing.

The FDA’s enforcement page has a list of lot numbers that are being recalled, but further information was not available.

Possible Effects of Exposure

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), exposure to pesticide residue in food can be toxic and “may induce adverse health effects including cancer, effects on reproduction, immune or nervous systems. Before they can be authorized for use, pesticides should be tested for all possible health effects and the results should be analyzed by experts to assess any risks to humans.”

An April 2017 study found that pesticide exposure is “significantly associated” with Parkinson’s disease and alterations in genes involved in the pathogenesis of the illness.

A study from 2015 looked at female spouses of pesticide applicator professionals. Out of 30,003 women, 25.9 percent reported using an insecticide called organophosphates (OP). Researchers found that 718 of the OP-exposed women were diagnosed with cancer.

“We observed increased risk with OP use for several hormonally-related cancers, including breast, thyroid, and ovary, suggesting potential for hormonally-mediated effects,” the study said.

In addition to Yogi tea products, the FDA has recalled or warned about other tea items over the past year.

On Dec. 13, WS Global recalled all lots of its Himalayan Pain Relief Tea packets after the products were found to contain two undeclared drugs—diclofenac and dexamethasone.

Diclofenac is an anti-inflammatory drug that poses “an increased risk of cardiovascular events, such as heart attack and stroke as well as serious gastrointestinal damage,” the agency said at the time.

Dexamethasone can “impair a person’s ability to fight infections and can cause high blood sugar levels, muscle injuries, and psychiatric problems.”

In August, the FDA advised customers not to buy or use Tapee Tea, a product marketed for pain relief. A lab analysis conducted by the agency confirmed the item contained hidden drug ingredients not listed on the label, including dexamethasone.

Pesticides in Tea

Various studies have shown the presence of pesticides in tea products worldwide. A Greenpeace report from 2014 that tested 49 samples of branded tea in India found that 46 of these samples (94 percent) contained at least one pesticide residue, and that 29 samples (59 percent) “contained ‘cocktails’ of more than 10 different pesticides, including one sample which contained residues of 20 different pesticides.”

In addition, 29 samples “also contained residues of at least one pesticide active ingredient above the Maximum Residue Levels set by the EU (EU-MRL), with 37 percent (18) of the tea samples exceeding these levels by more than 50 percent.”

A December 2020 study analyzed tea sourced from Belgian retail stores and found that over 38 percent of the dry leaves sampled “contained at least one pesticide exceeding the maximal residue level (MRL) set by the EU.”

The cultivation of tea involves heavy use of pesticides due to their high vulnerability to pests and diseases. As such, pesticide residues can be transferred to tea leaves, thus posing health risks to people.

A study published this year looked at the presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as “forever chemicals,” in food items, including tea. PFAS are used in certain pesticides as an active ingredient.

PFAS have been linked to several health issues, including cancers, reproductive problems, and adverse effects on the immune system.

In the study, researchers studied data of 123 young adults from the Southern California Children’s Health Study (CHS) and 604 young adults from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Study (NHANES).

The CHS group was visited twice. Participants from this group who reported higher tea consumption during the first visit were found to have higher PFAS levels during the subsequent visit. The results were confirmed among the NHANES group, with participants consuming more tea showing higher levels of PFAS.

Researchers called for the monitoring of food packaging, which can also be a source of PFAS contamination.