Mūn Kombucha is the first brand in Europe to feature the KBI Verified Seal Program on its bottles — the official certification from the international association Kombucha Brewers International.
Kombucha Brewers International · KBI Verified Seal Program
What is the KBI Verified Seal Program
The KBI Verified Seal Program is the official certification from Kombucha Brewers International (KBI), the international professional association for the kombucha industry. It is the first global seal that verifies a product meets the technical, food safety, and labeling standards of the category.
The program was officially launched on August 28, 2025, after a decade of internal development (since 2015). For the first time, it internationally establishes what can officially be called kombucha and what cannot.
More official information: kombuchabrewers.org/kbi-verified-seal-program
The 8 brands worldwide with the KBI seal
Only 8 brands worldwide currently hold the KBI Verified seal. Mūn is one of them. It was the 2nd in the world to achieve it and the first on the European continent to display this seal on its label:
KBI Verified certified brands (verifiable on the official list)
- GT's Living Foods (USA)
- Tonica (USA)
- Spring Branch (USA)
- Two Boys Brew (Ireland)
- Mūn Kombucha (Spain — first in Europe with the seal on bottle)
- Lion Heart (USA)
- Hola Kombucha (USA)
- Legend Kombucha (Italy)
In Spain, there are dozens of brands labeled as "kombucha" that do not meet the minimum KBI criteria: pasteurization, short fermentation, unsupported probiotic claims. The KBI seal is currently the only objective way to know that what you have in your hand is truly kombucha — and not a kombucha-flavored drink.
What exactly does the seal certify
The KBI Verified seal validates that the brand meets the following criteria, verified by independent external auditors through random and periodic on-site audits:
🧪 HACCP Food Safety
Compliance with Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points.
📋 Product Standards
The product conforms to the "Kombucha Code of Practice" established by KBI: authentic tea fermentation, ingredients, process.
🏷️ Correct Labeling
Claims regarding composition, ingredients, and properties aligned with European regulations and KBI standards.
🍷 Alcohol Compliance
Documentation that residual alcohol from fermentation remains within legal limits (<1.2% in EU).
📑 Certificate of Conformity
Annual submission of a signed certificate by the brand confirming compliance with all criteria.
🔍 On-site Audits
Periodic and random visits by an independent third-party auditor to verify compliance at the plant.
What is the difference between pasteurized "kombucha" and live kombucha
The KBI seal is not just a label. It is a guarantee that the product is truly authentic kombucha — fermented, live, with active probiotics. In conventional supermarkets, two very different products coexist under the same name:
| Characteristic | Pasteurized "Kombucha" | Standard unpasteurized Kombucha | Mūn · KBI Verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Live probiotics | ❌ Destroyed by heat | ✅ Live | ✅ Live |
| Stable at room temperature | ✅ Yes (but not live) | ❌ No (fermentation continues) | ✅ Yes (residual sugar so low it doesn't referment) |
| Needs refrigeration | No (because it's no longer live kombucha) | Yes (mandatory) | Not necessary due to minimal residual sugar |
| Flavor | Flat, no evolution | Changes over time (more acidic) | Stable throughout shelf life |
| Carbonation | Injected | ✅ Natural | ✅ Natural (2nd fermentation) |
| Residual sugar | Variable | 3-8 g / 100 ml usual | 0.09 – 1.80 g / 100 ml (European record) |
| External audit | ❌ Unverified | ❌ Unverified | ✅ Independent KBI Auditor |
| KBI Verified Seal | ❌ No | ❌ No (yet) | ✅ On the bottle |
An unpasteurized kombucha usually needs refrigeration because fermentation remains active (probiotics consume sugar and generate more acids). At Mūn, the residual sugar is so low —between 0.09 and 1.80 g per 100 ml, depending on the variety— that the probiotics remain alive but have virtually no fuel to continue transforming the drink. Result: unpasteurized + live + stable. More on this: why only a sugar-laden kombucha needs refrigeration.
How Mūn obtained the seal
Mūn Kombucha joined the KBI Verified Seal program since its official launch in 2025, becoming the first European brand to display the seal on its bottle. The certification process included:
- Formal application to KBI with technical documentation of the fermentation process, ingredients, and plant operations.
- Initial on-site audit by an independent KBI-accredited auditor, at the production plant.
- HACCP verification: documentary control of all critical points in the fermentation, bottling, and preservation process.
- Labeling verification across all varieties to ensure claims comply with regulations.
- Annual signed certificate of conformity, subject to periodic surprise audits at the plant.
The seal is not for life: it is renewed annually through random on-site audits.
Why we are the first in Europe
There are excellent European brands that have been making quality kombucha for years — some of them are colleagues we highly respect. But the KBI Verified Seal Program is very recent (August 2025) and joining requires a complete process of auditing + documentation + annual renewal.
Mūn has been the first European brand to go through the entire process and physically display the seal on its bottles and cans. This reflects:
- A decade of fermenting without pasteurization (since 2015): 11 years of stable and auditable process.
- HACCP system implemented from the start for industrial-scale production.
- Culture of transparency: we already had European organic certification + our own laboratory analyses for all 15 varieties.
- Investment in international certifications as a long-term competitive differentiator.
The KBI seal vs Mūn's other recognitions
Mūn holds several recognitions. Each covers something different:
- KBI Verified Seal Program — certifies it's authentic kombucha + annual external audit. What you are reading.
- IFS Food Certification (since 2021) — international food safety standard. The same one required by Mercadona, Carrefour, Lidl, or Veritas to audit their suppliers. More about IFS certification.
- European organic certification — ingredients from certified organic farming.
- World Kombucha Awards — 6 medals achieved in the 2023, 2024, and 2025 editions, sensory quality validated by an international jury. See the awards.
- Eco & Organic Awards — innovation in organic product.
Each seal covers a different dimension. KBI covers the "what" (that it is truly kombucha). IFS covers the "how it is produced" (industrial food safety). Organic covers the "ingredients". The awards cover the "how it tastes". Together, they paint a complete profile of the brand.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is "unpasteurized" the same as "live kombucha"?
Practically, yes. "Unpasteurized" means the product has not undergone heat treatment that kills microorganisms. "Live" means those probiotics remain active until consumption. The KBI seal verifies both.
How do I know if a kombucha has the KBI seal?
It appears printed on the bottle label. The complete list of certified brands is published on the official KBI website.
How long do live probiotics last?
Within its shelf life, kombucha probiotics remain active. At Mūn, analyses show stable live counts throughout the product's shelf life.
Do all Mūn varieties have the seal?
Yes. All 16 varieties — Premium (Hibiscus, Green, Verbena, Flowers, Ginger, Natural), Casual (Original, Red Berries, Turmeric, Ginger Lemon), Functional (Isotonic, Gut Morning), and NoLo (Not-Beer, Not-Beer Lemon, Not-Mojito), Radikal (Fruit Boom, Ginger Matcha)— go through the same unpasteurized fermentation process and the same audit.
Are there more Spanish brands with the seal?
At the time of publication of this page, Mūn is the only Spanish brand on the official KBI list. The list is updated periodically — new brands may be added if they pass the certification process.
Is the KBI Verified Seal the same as a governmental certification?
No. KBI is an international professional association, not a health authority. But its criteria are currently the only recognized global reference that distinguishes authentic kombucha from other beverages labeled as such. European organic certification is regulatory — Mūn also has it.
Real Kombucha. Audited and Certified.
If you want live kombucha, with active probiotics, fermented as per the KBI code, that's all we've been doing since 2015.
