Live Kombucha Culture

Live kombucha culture, also known as SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast), is a gelatinous disc that contains the microorganisms needed to ferment sweetened tea into kombucha. It's a living starter culture that consumes sugar and tea to produce organic acids, carbon dioxide, and trace amounts of alcohol.

Manufacturers add live kombucha culture to fermented beverages like kombucha to initiate the fermentation process. It gives kombucha its characteristic tangy flavor and effervescence. It is most commonly found in bottled kombucha drinks.

Live kombucha culture is generally recognized as safe (GRAS) by the FDA when used in food. The FDA has not set specific regulations for its use as a food ingredient beyond GRAS status. International bodies like JECFA have evaluated kombucha itself, but not specifically the live culture as a standalone ingredient. Some studies suggest potential benefits from the probiotics in kombucha, but more research is needed. Evidence regarding health effects is still developing.