East West Tea Company, which makes Organic Yogi Echinacea Immune Support tea, has recalled about 900,000 bags of the tea due to pesticide concerns. Yogi said in a statement that the pesticide traces were detected during routine auditing procedures and while they do not pose a risk to human health, they do not meet the company’s quality standards.One
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), East West Tea Company initiated a voluntary recall of tea on March 12, 2024, “due to pesticide residues being detected above actionable levels.”2 Although the recalled tea was certified organic, pesticide contamination has made it difficult to maintain organic product purity throughout the supply chain.
Organic Yogi Tea Recalled Due to Pesticide Contamination
More than 54,000 boxes of Organic Yogi Echinacea Immune Support tea distributed across the United States have been recalled. The boxes were sold in four- or six-packs, and each pack contained 16 sachets.three
A Class III recall is the least serious type, meaning that there is no likelihood of adverse health consequences from using or being exposed to the product. In a statement, Yogi said of how the organic product was contaminated:4
“While we do not use pesticides and only purchase under organic specifications that do not allow the use of conventional pesticides, we exist within a complex supply chain network where not everyone values organic practices the same way we do. For example, if a neighboring farm uses pesticides or chemical fertilizers, those uses may trickle down to our farmer’s organic land.”
The company said that in addition to working with stores to remove the recalled teas from shelves, it is also “working with all of our ingredient suppliers to ensure full compliance with their expectations and testing requirements. We have also engaged new partners to add additional testing capabilities across all of our products.”5
Organic isn't always perfect, but it does reduce pesticide loads.
Organic teas can contain pesticide residues from a variety of sources, including pesticides that float into the air or run off into water sources, contaminating organic crops. Soil and water sources can also be contaminated with pesticide residues from past farming practices or nearby conventional farms. Even with organic farming, these contaminants can be absorbed by plants.
Organic products may also come into contact with non-organic products during processing, packaging, or transportation. Shared equipment or facilities that are not properly cleaned can also lead to pesticide contamination. Although organic foods can still contain pesticide residues, one of the best ways to reduce exposure to hazardous pesticides in food is to choose organic or biodynamic varieties.
A study of 4,466 people in the United States found that people who “always or often” ate organic food had significantly lower pesticide residue levels than those who ate organic produce the least.6 Harvard scientists also noted:7
“Low-level pesticide exposure is widespread in the general population, with the primary exposure route being through diet, particularly consumption of conventionally grown fruits and vegetables… Crossover trials have shown that switching from conventionally grown to organic foods reduces pesticide exposure by decreasing urinary concentrations of pesticide metabolites.”
In fact, the biggest reason people buy organic over conventional is to avoid pesticides and other chemicals that aren't allowed in organic foods.8 The benefits of not using chemical pesticides cannot be overemphasized, especially since these chemicals are major environmental pollutants.
Worldwide, approximately 7.7 billion pounds of pesticides are used on crops each year, and that number is steadily increasing.9 Related problems such as herbicide resistance and widespread water pollution are also on the rise.
What are the risks of pesticide residues in food?
The FDA did not say which pesticides were found in the recalled cars or what levels they were.10 However, most pesticides target the nervous and endocrine systems, posing serious risks to human health. According to a review published in Emerging Contaminants:11
“Most pesticides are potentially toxic to humans, causing serious health problems. There is also evidence that parental exposure and exposure during childhood or adolescence may increase long-term risks.
Pesticide exposure has been linked to many human diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, asthma, bronchitis, infertility, birth defects, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism, diabetes, obesity, respiratory diseases, organ diseases, and systemic disorders.
People exposed to pesticides have a higher risk of developing a variety of cancers, including non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), leukemia, brain cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancer, stomach cancer, colon cancer, liver cancer, and bladder cancer.”
Many pesticides also have estrogenic activity and are known to impair fertility. For example, pesticides have been shown to reduce sperm counts, with sperm counts in adult men dropping to zero.12
A man's sperm count can recover within about three months from pesticide exposure, but only after he has stopped exposing himself. However, if a pregnant woman is exposed to pesticides, the fetus can be affected, and the sperm count will not recover.13 As the changes are passed down through generations, grandchildren are also affected.
A study published in JAMA Internal Medicine evaluated the impact of factors known to influence fertility on the reproductive success of 325 women ages 18 to 45 (average age 35) who underwent in vitro fertilization (IVF).14
Researchers estimated pesticide exposure based on each participant’s food questionnaire, using a U.S. government database listing average pesticide residues in foods. On average, women with high pesticide exposure ate 2.3 servings per day of fruits, berries, or vegetables known to be high in pesticide residues. The lowest quartile ate less than 1 serving per day of high-pesticide produce.
Compared with women with the lowest pesticide exposure, those with the highest pesticide exposure had an 18 percent lower IVF success rate. And if they did get pregnant, they were 26 percent less likely to have a live birth. Using modeling, the researchers estimated that eating just one serving of produce high in pesticides per day could increase the chances of pregnancy by 79 percent and the chances of having a live birth by 88 percent, compared with eating produce low in pesticides.
What else is hidden in organic foods?
Contamination of organic foods is a precursor to systemic problems in food production, such as the contamination of conventionally grown organic kale with toxic perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).15 They are also called “forever chemicals” because they persist in the environment for a long time.
Overall, PFAS levels were higher in the organic kale samples than in the conventional samples, likely due to the use of biosolids-based compost in organic food production. Sam Knowlton, an agronomic consultant, tweeted:16
“One reason organic kale may have higher levels of PFAS than conventional kale is because organic production involves a higher proportion of compost. Most composts are of poor quality and are more geared toward waste management than producing high-quality inoculant/fertilizer.
Often, undesirable materials such as industrial wastes, which are full of biosolids and other toxins, are composted but do not decompose properly. Many farms rely on this type of compost because it is cheaper.”
The Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) is an international non-profit organization responsible for determining which products are acceptable for organic production and processing.17 One of them is manure.18 But these “natural” fertilizers have a dark side when they come from concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs).
In addition to contamination with pathogenic E. coli, avian influenza, and salmonella, chicken manure also contains antibiotics, pesticide residues, and heavy metals.19 With PFAS. Until CAFO manure is no longer allowed on organics, organic kale and other produce will likely continue to face PFAS concerns.
Just as pesticide runoff contaminating nearby organic farms may have contributed to the organic tea recall, these systemic problems are deeply entrenched in industrial agriculture and may also lead to organic food contamination.
Still, choosing organic for yourself and your family is one of the most proactive steps you can take to take control of your health. Not only does choosing organic reduce your exposure to pesticides, but organically grown foods typically have higher levels of antioxidants than conventionally grown varieties.20
Tips for choosing a high-quality tea
It is known as the world's most consumed beverage after water and one of the oldest beverages.21 Tea is a healthy and delicious addition to the diet. The tea plant, Camellia sinensis, has been used medicinally for thousands of years, and its polyphenol compounds can affect glucose metabolism and insulin signaling, with many additional benefits.
For example, tea, especially green tea, has been shown to lower the risk of stroke, diabetes, and depression, and improve abdominal obesity and blood sugar levels.22 In adults with type 2 diabetes, higher tea consumption was associated with a lower risk of mortality.23
Just replacing one sugary drink with tea a day had health benefits, with a 16 percent lower mortality rate and a 24 percent lower risk of cardiovascular disease. Replacing one artificially sweetened drink with tea a day also helped lower mortality.24
However, when choosing tea, it is important to choose organic varieties to minimize pesticide exposure. Also, tea plants readily absorb lead and fluoride from the soil, so choose varieties grown in unpolluted areas.
Choosing tea grown in a clean environment helps ensure that as little fluoride, heavy metals, and other toxins as possible seep into the leaves from the soil and water. A clean growing environment is essential to producing pure, high-quality tea.
Loose leaf tea may also be safer, as the tea bags are often made from heat-resistant polypropylene, which prevents them from breaking in hot water, meaning there's a greater chance of small pieces of plastic entering your drink.
Paper tea bags are treated with epichlorohydrin, a chemical that prevents tears, and has been shown to be a possible human carcinogen. Epichlorohydrin reacts with water to form 3-MCPD, another possible human carcinogen.
One study found that the daily intake of epichlorohydrin in tea drinkers was 55.37 times higher in those who drank tea in tea bags than in those who drank loose leaf tea.25 Rinsing the tea bags and not steeping them for more than two minutes can reduce your exposure somewhat, but using organic loose leaf tea may be a healthier choice overall.
