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In April 2016, the firm voluntarily recalled several batches of Gold Emblem Abound Organic Spiced Herbal Tea after CVS Pharmacy was informed by its supplier of a possible Salmonella contamination in a common ingredient. As a precaution, around 200 boxes were sold nationwide prior to the recall. There were no instances of illness reported. [1]

2016 Salmonella Risk Advisory: Recall of CVS Gold Emblem Abound Organic Spiced Herbal Tea

Recall , July 10, 2025

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In April 2016, the firm voluntarily recalled several batches of Gold Emblem Abound Organic Spiced Herbal Tea after CVS Pharmacy was informed by its supplier of a possible Salmonella contamination in a common ingredient. As a precaution, around 200 boxes were sold nationwide prior to the recall. There were no instances of illness reported. [1]

What is the purpose of the Advisory?

Salmonella was found in the other company’s lot, which shares a common ingredient with CVS’s tea and another item. To safeguard consumers, CVS removed the Salmonella-contaminated herbal items off its shop shelves.

Root cause analysis

The following problems were found during the probe:

  • Contaminated raw ingredient from supplier
  • No internal verification conducted by CVS
  • Absence of batch-level pre-release pathogen screening
  • Over-reliance on third-party test reports

Description of the product

Field

Details

Brand

Gold Emblem Abound (CVS Pharmacy)

Product

Organic Spiced Herbal Tea (1.41 oz)

Contaminant

Salmonella (via a shared ingredient)

Best By Date

March 18, 2018

UPC Code

0 50428 541043

Quantity Sold

~200 cartons

Distribution

Nationwide (CVS retail stores)

Recall Type

Voluntary consumer-level recall

Recall of CVS Gold Emblem Abound Organic Spiced Herbal Tea blog

FDA Regulatory Enforcement

  • The contaminated items were taken off the shelves by CVS, who also imposed a “do not sell” hold on them.
  • CVS upholds FDA regulations and notified the federal authorities of the recall, despite the lack of data on illness instances.

Regulatory Insights and GMP Gaps

This event highlighted deficiencies in the safety of plant products:

  • Excessive reliance on microbiological reports from providers without internal confirmation
  • Inadequate procedures for pathogen screening in plants
  • Failure to routinely check for microbial quality after production
  • Limited ability to trace the origin of ingredients

Recommendations for Consumer Safety

If you purchased this, CVS advises the following:

  • Cease all use at once
  • Bring the tea back to any CVS shop to get your money back in full.
  • Watch out for indications of nausea, vomiting, or fever.
  • Inform the FDA’s MedWatch system of your illness.

FRL Commentary on the Safety of Plant-Based Beverages

By offering the following, the Food Research Lab helps businesses avoid such occurrences:

  • Internal examination of herbal components for impurities
  • Audits of suppliers and processes for verifying suppliers
  • Microbiological quality testing at the batch level
  • Internal microbiological safety criteria that go above and beyond what the vendor provides

 

“Always test every batch before it goes on sale; the responsibility for verification must never lie with the vendor.

Conclusion

Improving Microbial Control in Herbal Teas. This recall emphasizes the necessity of conducting separate microbial testing and screening on botanicals supplied by suppliers. To safeguard product safety and consumer confidence, businesses should improve their quality control procedures.

Protect Your Herbal Goods from Contamination Work with the Food Research Lab to:

  • Conduct pathogen screening of plant components
  • Carry out audits of providers and confirm traceability
  • Include microbial safety testing at every stage of production
  • Adherence to global safety regulations and FDA requirements