NEW YORK — There are any number of disconcerting alerts, warnings and advisories that come across my desk every week. This time, the information hit strikingly close to home and came just in the nick of time about a voluntary recall of milks and nutritional drinks issued by the FDA.
Lyons Magnus has expanded the list of nutritional and beverage products from its July recall list due to potential microbial contamination, including from the organisms Cronobacter sakazakii and Clostridium botulinum, the FDA said on Wednesday.
Several products were recalled at the end of last month, but several more have been added this week. The products are packed in several different formats under varying brand names, including Organic Valley, Ensure Harvest, PediaSure Harvest, Glucerna, Oatly, Stumptown, Optimum Nutrition, Lyons Ready Care, Lyons Barista Style, Pirq, Aloha, Intelligentsia, Premier Protein, MRE, Imperial, Cafe Grumpy, Tone It Up, Uproot, Sated, Rejuvenate, Sweetie Pie Organics and Kate Farms. The full list of recalled products, with lot codes and best by dates, can be found here.
The products were distributed both nationally and online.
FDA officials said a preliminary analysis indicated that products did not meet commercial sterility specifications.
Consumers are advised to not consume any of the recalled products, even if they do not look or smell spoiled, or if they are beyond their best by date.
While infection with Cronobacter sakazakii is rare, common symptoms of illness may include fever, vomiting and urinary tract infection. However, vulnerable and immunocompromised populations might be more susceptible to infection. As of Friday, no illnesses or complaints related to these products have been reported.
Clostridium botulinum may cause a severe form of food poisoning, with symptoms occuring anywhere from six hours to two weeks after eating food that contains the toxin. Symptoms may include double vision, blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing and muscle weakness. Botulism poisoning may also cause respiratory paralysis, resulting in death, unless assistance with breathing (mechanical ventilation) is provided.
Anyone who has a recalled product should dispose of it immediately or return it to the place of purchase for a refund. Consumers may also contact the Lyons Recall Support Center, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, at 1-800-627-0557.
The advice from the media when these sorts of recalls are issued is to immediately urge readers to check their kitchen cupboards right away. This is one time I'm glad I took that advice because there were 24 newly arrived 8 oz. Organic Whole Milk containers on the kitchen counter, all with an unlucky lot number.
More correctly, there were 23 milks, with one unopened milk already packed in my four-year-old's lunch for science camp.
So, by all means, please check your kitchen cupboards right away.
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