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In June 2024, TK Maxx and Homesense announced a recall of selected batches of Kintra Foods Organic Premium Leaf Teas in the United Kingdom following contamination by insects in three types of teas: Calm & Relax, Chamomile, and Sleepy. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) posted a warning about the product recall notice, informing the public that the products were contaminated and could not be consumed; they should be returned for a full refund. In Hong Kong, on 19 June 2024, the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) informed the public about the food recall for insect contamination; during preliminary investigation, there were no indications of sales/import, but possible purchases online or abroad cannot be excluded. [1]

Kintra Herbal Tea Recall (2024): Insect Contamination Alert

Recall , Sep 19, 2026

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Category of the Product: Food & Beverages – Tea and Herbal Infusions

Type of the Product: Organic Premium Leaf Teas

Reason for Announcement: Selected Kintra Foods Organic Premium Leaf Teas were recalled in the UK because some batches were found to contain insects and were considered unsafe to consume.

In June 2024, TK Maxx and Homesense announced a recall of selected batches of Kintra Foods Organic Premium Leaf Teas in the United Kingdom following contamination by insects in three types of teas: Calm & Relax, Chamomile, and Sleepy. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) posted a warning about the product recall notice, informing the public that the products were contaminated and could not be consumed; they should be returned for a full refund. In Hong Kong, on 19 June 2024, the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) informed the public about the food recall for insect contamination; during preliminary investigation, there were no indications of sales/import, but possible purchases online or abroad cannot be excluded. [1]

What Happened

Kintra Foods Organic Premium Leaf Teas had been recalled in the UK due to the presence of insects in some of the products. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) found that the affected products posed a risk to the health of consumers and urged consumers not to consume the products and to return it to TK Maxx or HomeSense in exchange for a full refund.

The FSA made the announcement regarding the recall on 18 June 2024 and covered certain batches of the Calm & Relax, Chamomile, and Sleepy Herbal Tea. The retailers involved in the recall included TK Maxx and Homesense. [2]

Affected Products and Batches

The official FSA notice identifies the following products and batch codes:

Product

Pack Size

Affected Batches

Calm & Relax

60g

6057, 6071, 6118, 6126, 6207

Chamomile

40g

5887, 6111

Sleepy

40g

6058, 6102, 6125

The affected Kintra Foods Organic Premium Leaf Teas were distributed in the UK through TK Maxx and Homesense. [2]

Regulatory Action

The FSA released the following recall notification on 18 June 2024, noting that some of the selected Kintra Foods Organic Premium Leaf Teas had been discovered to have insects in them and were therefore considered unsafe for consumption. The consumers were advised not to consume the unsafe products and to return them to any TK Maxx or Homesense store to receive a full refund. [2]

On 19 June 2024, the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) in Hong Kong issued a food safety announcement. According to the initial findings by the CFS, the affected products are not being sold or imported into Hong Kong. However, acquiring the unsafe products through the Internet and international travel cannot be excluded. [3]

Kintra Herbal Tea - Thumbnail - FRL

Consumer Action

Consumers who have an affected Kintra tea should:

  • Not consume the product.
  • Check the product name, pack size and batch code against the affected products.
  • Return the affected product to TK Maxx or Homesense for a full refund.
  • Contact TK Maxx/Homesense Customer Services at 01923 473561 or customerservice@tjxeurope.com for further information. [1]

What Regulators Did Not Establish

According to the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA), the chosen Kintra Foods Organic Premium Leaf Teas were found to be contaminated with insects and were deemed unfit for consumption. It was advised that consumers stop consuming the contaminated products and take them back to TK Maxx or Homesense stores for a refund.

The relevant FSA and CFS notices failed to specify the exact species of the insects, the source or the process of contamination. The notices further did not state any specific pathogen, toxin, disease or any other medical effect that was related to the contaminated products.

Accordingly, the recall should be described according to the regulator’s documented safety determination, without attributing an unconfirmed contamination source or additional health effects. [2] [3]

FRL Technical Analysis: Where Should Herbal Tea Manufacturers Control Insect Contamination Risk?

The Kintra recall shows the importance of considering the possibility of contamination during all stages of the herbal tea supply chain, from botanicals sourcing and raw material reception up to storage, processing, packaging, and distribution.

It is impossible to say from the regulatory notices available what stage of the supply chain became the reason for the insects entering the recalled products. However, manufacturers can use a risk-based verification framework to identify potential contamination points and establish appropriate controls.

Supply-Chain Stage

Potential Risk to Evaluate

Manufacturer Control

Verification Approach

Botanical Sourcing

Potential insect infestation or foreign matter in botanicals

Approved suppliers, botanical specifications and defined quality requirements

Supplier and COA document review; incoming-material inspection

Raw-Material Receipt

Evidence of insects, larvae or foreign matter

Defined acceptance criteria for incoming materials

Risk-based sampling; visual and physical examination

Storage

Pest ingress, infestation or propagation

Pest-management programme, segregation and appropriate environmental controls

Pest-monitoring records, trap checks and storage inspection

Processing

Potential contamination during handling or processing

Segregation, sanitation and appropriate equipment/process controls

Line inspection and pre-operation verification

Packaging

Loss of packaging or barrier integrity

Packaging specifications and seal-integrity requirements

Package inspection and integrity verification

Finished Product

Product non-conformance

Defined finished-product release specifications

Risk-based finished-product verification

Distribution

Loss of product traceability

Lot coding and controlled distribution records

Traceability checks and mock-recall verification

These controls should be selected according to the product characteristics, botanical ingredients, supplier risks, processing conditions, storage environment and identified hazards. They are general risk-based considerations and should not be interpreted as evidence that any control failed in the Kintra case or that these measures would necessarily have prevented the recall.

Manufacturer Prevention Framework

For herbal tea suppliers, prevention of contamination must be supported by verification documentation for all applicable supply chain steps.

Supplier Approval

The supplier approval process may entail consideration of the following:

  • Botanical specifications
  • Supplier quality criteria
  • Pest management expectations
  • Requirement for COAs
  • Previous supplier quality performance

Incoming Inspection

Incoming botanical material can be assessed for the following aspects:

  • Lot/material identification
  • Condition of packaging
  • Insects/larvae/foreign material present
  • Deterioration indicators
  • Moisture-related deterioration where applicable

Storage Verification

Storage control measures can encompass the following:

  • Pest management program
  • Pest monitoring documentation
  • Appropriate Segregation
  • Stock rotation
  • Packaging integrity
  • Environmental conditions suitable for stored material

Testing and Specification Verification

The manufacturers can develop acceptance criteria and use risk-based sampling and testing for the raw materials and finished products. Based on the risks involved, this could involve foreign matter inspection, quality testing of the raw material, botanical identification and quality, microbiological analysis where necessary, and verification of the supplier’s COA against the approved specifications.

The supplier’s COAs need to be reviewed and verified against the approved specifications and applicable acceptance criteria. The testing and verification process is dependent upon the characteristics of the product, its ingredients and the risks and hazards identified.

Traceability Verification

Traceability should allow the manufacturer to follow the product through the supply chain:

Supplier lot → Internal batch → Finished product → Customer/distributor

Documented traceability and mock-recall exercises can help assess whether affected batches can be identified and controlled efficiently.

FRL Support

Food Research Lab supports herbal and botanical product manufacturers with Safety Testing and risk-based quality verification.

Relevant support can include:

  • Quality assessment of raw materials
  • Identity and quality verification of botanicals
  • Detection of foreign materials when necessary
  • Test strategy for risk-based sampling and testing
  • Specification of products and raw materials
  • Specification and COA review for suppliers
  • Environmental verification
  • Recall readiness assessment
  • Verification for food safety and compliance

The appropriate testing and verification programme depends on the product, ingredients, supply chain, identified hazards and applicable requirements.

Conclusion

The Kintra herbal tea recall emphasizes the need to implement documented and risk-based controls throughout the herbal tea manufacturing chain, which includes supplier approval, raw material verification, storage controls, testing, traceability and release of the finished product.

The regulatory notices that are currently available do not provide any information on how the contamination from insects occurred. That is why the control measures listed above are only general recommendations to the herbal tea manufacturer and cannot be considered as facts about the Kintra products.

Build a Risk-Based Safety Plan for Your Herbal Product

Unsure whether your botanical ingredient specifications, supplier controls, testing plan and traceability system adequately address contamination risks? Food Research Lab can help evaluate the product and supply chain and define appropriate verification requirements.

Frequently Asked Question

Selected Kintra Foods Organic Premium Leaf Teas were recalled after some batches were found to contain insects. The FSA stated that the affected products were unsafe to consume.

Consumers should not consume the affected tea. They should check the batch code against the recall information and return the product to a TK Maxx or Homesense store for a full refund.

Manufacturers can reduce contamination risks through supplier controls, raw-material inspection, appropriate pest-management programmes, hygienic storage, packaging checks, batch traceability, and documented recall procedures. The specific cause of the Kintra recall was not established in the available regulatory notices

References

  1. TK Maxx. (n.d.). Product recall: Kintra Foods Organic Premium Leaf Teas. TK Maxx – Product Recall
  2. Food Standards Agency. (2024). Product recall: Kintra Foods Organic Premium Leaf Teas. FSA – Product Recall Alert FSA-PRIN-33-2024

 

  1. Centre for Food Safety. (2024, June 19). Food recall: Kintra Foods Organic Premium Leaf Teas. Centre for Food Safety – Recall notice
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