Does kombucha need to be refrigerated?

Key facts

• Live cultures. New York's food regulator: unpasteurised kombucha "contains live cultures and can continue to ferment and raise alcohol content over time, especially if transported, stored, or displayed without refrigeration". [1]
• Temperature. In New York, unpasteurised kombucha must be kept at or below 41°F (5°C) at all times and labelled "Keep Refrigerated". [1]
• Consumer warning. New York also requires a consumer warning on the label: "Consumption of no more than 4 oz. per day is recommended" and "Product should not be consumed by immunocompromised individuals". [1]
• Shelf-stable option. Pasteurised kombucha with a pH of 4.2 or lower is considered shelf stable. [1]
• Alcohol risk. TTB: "Refrigeration of the product is not an adequate method of ensuring that the alcohol content will not increase" after it leaves the producer, because the producer cannot control storage. [2]

How should I store kombucha?

1. Read the label. "Keep Refrigerated" means it should go in the fridge.
2. Unpasteurised: keep it cold from shop to home. [1]
3. Pasteurised and shelf stable: can be kept at room temperature if the label says so. [1]
4. Preservatives don't replace the fridge. In New York's guidance, kombucha with added sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate must still be refrigerated. [1]

Why does warm kombucha matter for alcohol?

Time and temperature affect how much alcohol fermentation produces, and the alcohol content can rise to 0.5% ABV or more, at which point it is an alcohol beverage in the US. [2] See does kombucha have alcohol.

Related answers: does kombucha have alcohol · what kombucha is

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