53  nutritional beverages recall due to potential microbial contamination

Products Recalled:

Lyons Magnus LLC, a food manufacturer, based in Lyons, California, announced on July 28, 2022, that it is voluntarily recalling 53 beverage products due to potential microbial contamination. Lyson recalled the beverage products cooperating with the FDA as they didn’t meet the commercial sterility specifications preliminarily. Lyons’ Ready Care (dairy-based beverage), Barista Style (non-dairy beverage), Pirq (plant-based beverage), Glucerna (flavoured dairy beverage), Aloha (flavoured non-dairy beverage), Oatly (oat-based beverage), and Premiere Protein beverages are some of the items which are very famous among the American customers that were recalled. The product’s name and the docket number of all the recalled beverages are mentioned on the FDA’s site.

 

 

Problem: The recall was initiated mainly because of potential microbial contamination due to Clostridium Botulinum and Cronobacter Sakazakii, commonly called Enterobacter Sakazakii; this can cause sepsis or meningitis, and the most common infections caused are vomiting, fever and urinary infections. Even though no issues were reported and to be noted, the Cronobacter Sakazakii infections are very rare. The infant formulations were not among the products that had a presence of the mentioned microbial contamination. The presence of Clostridium Botulinum was not detected.

 

 

Scientific Evidence: The ubiquitous microorganism Enterobacter Sakazakii is a rare contaminant in infant formula and can cause serious systemic infections in newborns. Even though mostly found in dry areas, a scientific paper published by the international journal of food microbiology in 2007 says these microorganisms can be isolated from a wide range of foods and food ingredients like plant foods and food ingredients such as grains, fruits and vegetables, legumes, herbs, spices, milk, meat and fish, and products derived from them.

 

What does regulation clarify

• Lack of safety evaluation and quality aspects  can result in significant hazards
• Improper sanitary measures used can result in foodborne illness in customers
• 21 CFR 117 mentions the legal, regulatory affairs and HACCP in beverages and recall measures to be taken.

References:

1.  https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/lyons-magnus-voluntarily-recalls-53-nutritional-and-beverage-products-due-potential-microbial
2. Friedemann M. (2007). Enterobacter sakazakii in food and beverages (other than infant formula and milk powder). International journal of food microbiology, 116(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2006.12.018
3. https://www.fda.gov/files/food/published/Draft-Guidance-for-Industry–Hazard-Analysis-and-Risk-Based-Preventive-Controls-for-Human-Food—Preventive-Controls-%28Chapter-4%29-Download.pdf