On Thursday, Dec. 10, Sweet Leaf Tea Company voluntarily recalled 1.5 bottles of its tea products all across the United States. The recall was made as an act of caution due to the potential presence of glass fragments.
Glass fragments may have accidentally entered the bottled products after a glass breakage incident ccurred during a filling process.
Ingesting the said glass pieces may place an individual at risk of getting cut or injured. So far, the company has already received four complaints but no injuries have been reported.
The batch of tea products affected are those that were distributed from Feb. 27, 2015 to Dec. 6, 2015. Other glass sizes and plastic bottle products are not affected by this recall.
To know whether a product is included in the recall or not, the company advises its customers to look for the manufacturing code printed on the bottle's shoulder or on the shipping case. The company has provided a full list of affected products (PDF).
Sweet Leaf Tea flavors affected by the incident are original, peach, raspberry, mint and honey, green tea with citrus and half and half lemonade.
The company said it is committed to guaranteeing that safety and quality standards are being implemented in all its products. Part of this vision is the removal of all affected products on retail store shelves.
"[We want] each bottle live up to the brand you've grown to know and love," the company wrote in its website.
People who have purchased any of the affected tea products are advised to refrain from drinking. They can contact Sweet Leaf Tea toll free hotlines at 1-877-832-5323, from Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. EST to obtain a replacement product or be issued a refund at the store of purchase.
The company has informed the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and both parties are now working together to facilitate the recall.
Sweet Leaf Tea said it has already conducted investigations and that corrective actions have already been performed.
Sweet Leaf Tea was founded in 1997 by Clayton Christopher, who decided to make bottled tea that is as tasty as the one his grandmother used to make. In 2011, it partnered with Nestlé Waters North America to enhance the distribution of its products.
