OTTAWA, September 30, 2006 – The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is warning consumers not to drink certain brands of carrot juice described below due to botulism concerns.
The following products are affected by this alert:
"Bolthouse Farms 100% Carrot Juice", sold in both 1 liter and 450 milliliter sizes
"Earthbound Farm Organic Carrot Juice", sold in both 1 liter and 450 milliliter sizes
"President's Choice Organics 100% Pure Carrot Juice" sold in both 1 liter and 450 milliliter
sizes.
Products bearing "BEST BY" OR BEST IF USED BY "BIUB" dates of 06NO11 (NOV 11 2006) or earlier are affected.
The manufacturer, Wm. Bolthouse Farms Inc., Bakersfield, California is voluntarily recalling the affected brands of carrot juice. These products may have been distributed across Canada.
In the USA four cases of botulism poisoning have been reported. It is also reported that one link between the illness and the consumers appears to be that the juice they drank was not properly refrigerated once it was in the home, which allowed the Clostridium botulinum spores to grow and produce toxin. Other possible links are being investigated in the USA.
Food contaminated with Clostridium botulinum toxin may not look or smell spoiled. Consumption of food contaminated with the toxin may cause nausea, vomiting, fatigue, dizziness, headache, double vision, dry throat, respiratory failure and paralysis. In severe cases of illness, people may die.
For more information, consumers and industry can call the CFIA at 1-800-442-2342 / TTY 1-800-465-7735 (8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern time, Monday to Friday).
For information on Clostridium botulinum,
visit the Food Facts web page at http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/concen/causee.shtml.
For information on receiving recalls by e-mail, or for other food safety
facts, visit our web site at
www.inspection.gc.ca.
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Media enquiries:
Davendra Sharma (English)
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Office of Food Safety and Recall
613-755-2890
Marie-Andrée Lefebvre (French)
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Office of Food Safety and Recall
613-760-4044
Fact Sheet: Food
Safety Facts on Botulism
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