The words you can't put on a kombucha label in Brazil
Brazil gave kombucha an official standard in 2019 with IN MAPA nº 41. Nearly every producer knows the pH range. Far fewer know item 3.7, which lists the words that may not appear on the label. Some of them are on half the labels you see.
The norm's logic is simple: a label describes the product, it does not make promises on its behalf. Expressions that claim superlative qualities or unapproved functional properties are out. In practice, that strikes down words marketing loves.
The item 3.7 list
On a kombucha label it is prohibited to use expressions such as: artesanal (artisanal), caseira (homemade), familiar (family-made), bebida viva (living drink), bebida probiótica (probiotic drink), bebida milenar (millennial drink), elixir, elixir da vida (elixir of life), energizante (energizing), revigorante (invigorating), especial (special), premium.
Mind the norm's "such as": the list gives examples, it is not closed. Any expression claiming a superlative quality or a functional property not approved in specific legislation falls under the same prohibition.
The one that hurts most is "probiotic". Functional and health claims only reach the label if authorized under Anvisa's specific legislation (item 3.4), and "probiotic drink" as a kombucha label expression is not among them.
No wine vocabulary
Item 3.6 prohibits wine-classification expressions on the label, such as seco, suave, branco, tinto, reserva and others, and the word "vinho" (wine) itself, alone or inside other wording.
Alcohol: the label tiers
Three ranges, three treatments:
Up to 0.05% v/v: the product may say "zero álcool", "zero % álcool", "0,0%" or similar (item 3.3). Above 0.05% and up to 0.5%: the label must carry the warning "Pode conter álcool em até 0,5% v/v" (may contain alcohol up to 0.5% v/v). From 0.6% to 8%: that is Kombucha Alcoólica, a different denomination with different rules. Knowing and proving which tier each lot sits in is record work, not memory work: dated readings, on the batch.
"Pasteurizada", at double size
A detail that surprises: pasteurized kombucha must carry the word "pasteurizada" on the main panel at double the dimensions of the product denomination (item 3.5). Not small print; the opposite of it.
What stands behind the label
Behind a defensible label sit the records: the lot printed on the bottle pointing at a real history, the best-before date, pH readings inside the official window (2.5 to 4.2) and volatile acidity (30 to 130 mEq/L). That is exactly the kind of record Decree 12,709/2025 expects from a registered establishment: systematized, auditable, traceable by lot. If you produce in Brazil, this is the page: BrauMo for producers in Brazil.
The official source to check every item: MAPA's Cartilhão de Bebidas (the annex of IN SDA nº 140/2024), which consolidates IN 41/2019 in its kombucha chapter. This text is producer-to-producer orientation, not legal advice: the norm's own text is the reference.
Related reading
- How to register your kombucha with MAPA: the SIPEAGRO walkthrough
- Autocontrole: Brazil's self-control programs for kombucha producers
- Keeping kombucha under 0.5% ABV
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