Garden of Life expands recall of Raw Meal products linked to Salmonella outbreak

Company officials at Garden of Life LLC say they have identified the source of Salmonella Virchow contamination in their Raw Meal branded organic shake and meal powders and they expanded their product recall today.

The Palm Beach Gardens. FL, company added more than two dozen Raw Meal products to the recall, which it initiated Jan. 29. That same day the Minnesota Department of Health reported it is working with officials in other states to investigate a Salmonella outbreak linked to the supplement mixes.

“Two cases of Salmonella Virchow infection with the same DNA fingerprint pattern have been reported to the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) since Jan. 11.,” according to the MDH outbreak announcement.

Several people with matching Salmonella Virchow strains in other states have reported eating this product, which is a powdered nutritional supplement and meal replacement.

Those states include:

• Wisconsin;
• Tennessee;
• Oregon;
• New Jersey;
• New Mexico; and
• Utah.

Company officials said today they believe the contamination came from moringa leaf powder, which is one of the ingredients in its Raw Meal products.

“After extensive testing of the product and its ingredients, and working in collaboration with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the manufacturer, suppliers and other third-party experts, we have now identified the likely source of Salmonella contamination to be organic moringa leaf powder from a supplier used only in Raw Meal,” according to the expanded recall notice. “Because other Garden of Life products containing Moringa use different suppliers, only Raw Meal is exposed.”

Garden of Life will remove organic moringa powder from its Raw Meal products and expects new products to be available in stores and through online retailers within the next few weeks, according to a news release.

The company has asked retailers to remove the lots of Raw Meal from sale. Consumers should check the lot number on any Raw Meal products they have in their homes and return any products involved in this recall to their point of purchase for a full refund.

“We are using this as an opportunity to review our entire sourcing, manufacturing and distribution system with an eye to making a safe system even better,” president Brian Ray said in the recall notice.

Minnesota officials reported the extent of the product contamination is unknown. Based on the information collected as of Jan. 29, health officials recommend not eating any flavor of the product if it was purchased on or after Nov. 1, 2015. Additionally, product with a “Best Used by: 09/2017” date or later should not be consumed.

“One of the Minnesota cases ate vanilla flavored product and one ate chocolate flavored product,” the MDH reported.

“Cases in other states reported eating the vanilla flavor or the chocolate flavor. This type of food product is often purchased at nutrition stores and food cooperatives. The two cases in Minnesota purchased the items at separate places.”

Minnesota health officials said symptoms of salmonellosis include diarrhea, abdominal pain and fever. Symptoms usually begin within 12 to 72 hours after exposure, but they can begin up to a week after exposure.

Salmonella infections usually resolve in 5 to 7 days, but about 28 percent of laboratory-confirmed cases require hospitalization. Invasive infections including blood stream infections and meningitis occasionally occur.

In rare cases, Salmonella infection can lead to death, particularly in the elderly or those with weakened immune systems. Many Salmonella infections in otherwise healthy people do not require medical treatment. For those who do seek health care, most do not need to be treated with antibiotics. However, antibiotic treatment for certain categories of people and for more severe infections is warranted.

More information on Salmonella and how to prevent it can be found on the MDH website at Salmonellosis.

Since many people with Salmonella infections do not seek health care and therefore are not tested, the number of ill people that are part of this outbreak is likely to be larger than the identified cases, according to the MDH outbreak announcement.

“Consequently, health officials want to bring this outbreak to the attention of people who have become ill with symptoms of salmonellosis but who have not yet consulted a health care provider. These people should mention this outbreak to their health care provider should they consult one,” according to the MDH.

The expanded recall now includes the following products with lot numbers, UPC numbers, Sachet UPC numbers and expiration dates:

• RAW Organic Meal Chocolate 10 CNT Tray: 47200200; 658010116114; 658010116107; 8/1/2017
• RAW Organic Meal Chocolate Full Size: 47215800; 658010115933; 8/1/2017
• RAW Organic Meal Chocolate Full Size: 47243600; 658010115933; 8/1/2017
• RAW Organic Meal Chocolate Half Size: 47198400; 658010116954; 8/1/2017
• RAW Organic Meal Full Size: 47222300; 658010114141; 8/1/2017
• RAW Organic Meal Full Size: 47248900; 658010114141; 8/1/2017
• RAW Organic Meal Half Size: 47225700; 658010116961; 8/1/2017
• RAW Organic Meal Half Size: 47198700; 658010116961; 8/1/2017
• RAW Organic Meal Vanilla Chai 10 CNT Tray: 47183200; 658010116428; 658010116435; 8/1/2017
• RAW Organic Meal Vanilla Chai Half Size: 47215400; 658010116947; 8/1/2017
• RAW Organic Meal Vanilla Chai Half Size: 47202000; 658010116947; 8/1/2017
• RAW Organic Meal Vanilla Full Size: 47200100; 658010116022; 8/1/2017
• RAW Organic Meal Vanilla Full Size: 47198600; 658010116022; 8/1/2017
• RAW Organic Meal Vanilla Half Size: 47198500; 658010116930; 8/1/2017
• RAW Organic Meal Chocolate Full Size: 47200000; 658010115933; 8/31/2017
• RAW Organic Meal Chocolate Half Size: 47243000; 658010116954; 8/31/2017
• RAW Organic Meal Vanilla Chai Full Size: 47215600; 658010116046; 8/31/2017
• RAW Organic Meal Vanilla Full Size: 47202100; 658010116022; 8/31/2017
• RAW Organic Meal Chocolate Full Size: 47247700; 658010115933; 11/30/2017
• RAW Organic Meal Chocolate Half Size: 47247801; 658010116954; 11/30/2017
• RAW Organic Meal Chocolate Half Size: 47257001; 658010116954; 11/30/2017
• RAW Organic Meal Full Size: 47246501; 658010114141; 11/30/2017
• RAW Organic Meal Half Size: 47269900; 658010116961; 11/30/2017
• RAW Organic Meal Vanilla 10 CNT Tray: 47275400; 658010116138; 658010116121; 11/30/2017
• RAW Organic Meal Vanilla Chai Full Size: 47247601; 658010116046; 11/30/2017
• RAW Organic Meal Vanilla Full Size: 47225602; 658010116022; 11/30/2017
• RAW Organic Meal Vanilla Half Size: 47273200; 658010116930; 11/30/2017
• RAW Organic Meal Vanilla Half Size: 47247900; 658010116930; 11/30/2017
• RAW Organic Meal Chocolate Full Size: 47256902; 658010115933; 12/31/2017
• RAW Organic Meal Vanilla Full Size: 47257100; 658010116022; 12/31/2017
• RAW Organic Meal Vanilla Half Size: 47287600; 658010116930; 12/31/2017

 

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