If you’re a fan of cutest cafe beverage out there – bubble tea – then you might want to set your drink aside and read this.
A key ingredient used to make the super cute boba tea – or bubble tea, they are one and the same – drinks has been recalled, amid serious concern the one spoiled ingredient may pose a deadly risk.
Bubble tea (also known as boba) is a Taiwanese tea-based drink invented in the 1980s. It typically combines brewed tea, milk or fruit flavourings, and a sweetener, served with chewy toppings like tapioca pearls at the bottom. It is drunk through a wide straw to slurp up the toppings.
So, a widespread recall of speciality drink products has been issued across the US, affecting consumers, cafes, restaurants, and other businesses in 25 states with American health officials warning of potentially “serious” risks tied to the bacterial contamination used in the boba tea products.
View 3 ImagesBubble tea is a cold drink typically made with black tea, milk, some type of sweetener, flavouring, ice and the bubbles which are tapioca pearls.(Image: Getty)
The recall, announced by SKS Copack and published by the US Food and Drug Administration on May 23, involves a range of powdered beverage mixes that officials now believe may be contaminated with salmonella, a dangerous bacterium that can cause severe illness. Commonly, people infected by salmonella experience fever, diarrhoea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with the salmonella bacteria can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections, like infected aneurysms, endocarditis, and arthritis. In the elderly and frail, or in small children, it can be fatal. The recall spans a variety of speciality drink powders commonly used all over by bubble tea shops and cafés. If you’ve recently drunk a bubble tea, it might be worth watching out for symptoms, especially if these popular brand names ring any bells as the infected products may have been used:
- Angel Specialty Products
- Royal Gold
- Boba Time
- Fanale
- Denda
The potentially contaminated items include flavoured powders and mixes such as matcha green tea, caramel latte, milk tea, and cappuccino mixes (like mocha and vanilla).
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View 3 ImagesFILE IMAGE: Two women enjoying a boba tea at a cafe(Image: Getty)
The recalled beverage products were distributed widely through cafés, restaurants, and via direct delivery across 25 states in the US, spanning California, Utah, Idaho, New York, New Jersey, Arizona, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Texas, Ohio, Louisiana, Georgia, Florida, Illinois, Oklahoma, Massachusetts, Washington, Oregon, Wisconsin, Nevada, Virginia, Connecticut, Tennessee, Kentucky and Minnesota.
So, bad news if you’ve spent time in the US recently. But, if you’re a British-based boba tea fan, you should be in the clear as there is no indication any have made the trans-Atlantic trip to the UK, with no health alerts issued bu the UK Food Standards Agency.