Safe tea warning to Hain Celestial

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued a warning letter to the Melville-based owner of Celestial Seasonings herbal tea for failing to follow good manufacturing and quality control practices in a Boulder facility.

Based on inspections in March and April, the agency said the company did not “meet current good manufacturing practice regulations” for its Sleepytime Extra and five other tea products, in a letter dated Dec. 3 posted yesterday on the FDA website.

The regulators also said that workers were not properly trained, citing a laboratory technician.

The Hain Celestial Group, in Melville, owns Boulder-based Celestial Seasonings. Calls to spokeswomen at both were not immediately returned yesterday.

Hain Celestial said after the inspections in a response dated May 4 that it would correct the violations by certain dates, according to the letter. The FDA may seize products or take other enforcement actions if they are not.

The teas cited in the letter are part of the Celestial’s line of eight “All-Natural Herbal Wellness Blends”: Gingseng Energy, Detox A.M., Echinacea Complete Care, Sleepytime Extra, Sleepytime Throat Tamer and Tummy Mint.

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