Thursday, March 9, 2017

Canada recalls I.M. Healthy products; no E. coli cases there yet

Following confirmation by Oregon officials that they found E. coli in I.M. Healthy brand soy nut butter Canadian officials issued a recall of the peanut butter substitute and granola containing it.

I.M. Healthy brand creamy SoyNut Butter labelNo illnesses in Canada have been linked to the I.M. Healthy brand products from the SoyNut Butter Co., according to the Thursday recall notice from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

In the United States, 16 people across nine states have been confirmed with the outbreak strain that Oregon officials detected in a jar of the soy nut butter collected from the home of two children sickened by E. coli O157:H7 infections.

Fourteen of the victims are children. Eight of the victims have required hospitalization and five have developed the potentially deadly hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which attacks the kidneys.

Anyone who has eaten I.M. Healthy brand SoyNut Butter products or anything containing the products and developed symptoms of E. coli infection should immediately seek medical attention and tell their doctors about the possible exposure to the bacteria.

“The symptoms of STEC infections vary but often include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea — often bloody — and vomiting,” according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

recalled I.M. Healthy granola soy nut butter“Most people get better within 5 to 7 days, but some infections are severe or even life-threatening. Very young children and the elderly are more likely to develop severe illness and HUS than others, but even healthy older children and young adults can become seriously ill.”

The CDC advises people to watch for diarrhea that lasts for more than three days, or is accompanied by high fever, blood in the stool, or so much vomiting that you cannot keep liquids down and you pass very little urine.

In Canada as in the U.S., the recall includes all lots and flavors of I.M. Healthy brand soy nut butters and granola from the SoyNut Butter Co. in Glenville, IL. The products are sold in retail stores and on via the SoyNut Butter website. All sizes, from single servings to 45-pound tubs are included in the recall in the U.S.

Label information for the recalled I.M. Healthy products in Canada is as follows:

Brand Name Common Name Size Code(s) on Product UPC
I.M. Healthy Creamy SoyNut Butter 425 g (15 oz) All 6 54989 91010 4
I.M. Healthy Chunky SoyNut Butter 425 g (15 oz) All 6 54989 92010 3
I.M. Healthy Unsweetened Creamy
SoyNut Butter
425 g (15 oz) All 6 54989 93010 2
I.M. Healthy

Honey Creamy
SoyNut Butter

425 g (15 oz) All 6 54989 94010 1
I.M. Healthy Chocolate SoyNut Butter 425 g (15 oz) All 6 54989 97010 8
I.M. Healthy Original Granola 340 g (12 oz) All 6 54989 40035 3
I.M. Healthy Raisin & Cranberry Granola 340 g (12 oz) All 6 54989 40036 0
I.M. Healthy Apple Granola 340 g (12 oz) All 6 54989 40037 7
I.M. Healthy Blueberry Granola 340 g (12 oz) All 6 54989 40038 4

As of Thursday the manufacturer of the contaminated soy nut butter remained a secret. Officials with the SoyNut Butter Co. have not responded to requests for comment.

There is concern that the contract manufacturer used by SoyNut Butter Co. may have sold contaminated soy butter to other companies for use in products sold under brands other than I.M. Healthy.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is gagged by federal law from releasing  “confidential corporate information” such as the identity of the contract manufacturer.

For additional details on the outbreak and recall, please see:

(To sign up for a free subscription to Food Safety News, click here.)



from Food Recalls – Food Safety News http://ift.tt/2ms2zxv

No comments:

Post a Comment