On January 29, Officials at the Palm Beach Gardens, Florida-based company said in a news release they were voluntarily withdrawing a limited quantity of its Raw Meal Organic Shake & Meal powdered mixes because the product was linked to a multi-state Salmonella outbreak.
On February 12, the company added two dozen more Raw Meal products to its expanded recall, including their Raw Meal Chocolate, Original, Vanilla and Vanilla Chai flavors, according to Food Safety News. Retailers have been asked to remove the lots of Raw Meal from sale and that consumers check the lot number on their Raw Meal product and return any products involved in this recall to their point of purchase for a full refund.
A number of people with matching Salmonella virchow strains in other states have reported eating the product that is a powdered nutritional supplement and meal replacement. The latest information shows that 11 people in nine states have become ill after consuming the Raw Meal product.
Illnesses reported from each state are as follows: Minnesota (2), New Jersey (2), New Mexico (1), Ohio (1), Oklahoma (1), Oregon (1), Tennessee (1), Utah (1), and Wisconsin (1). Those sickened, who range in age from 8 years to 76, reported onset of illness dates ranging from December 5, 2015, to January 21, 2016. One person has been hospitalized.
Company officials say they have identified the source of the Salmonella Virchow contamination as coming from moringa leaf powder, an ingredient in its Raw Meal products. In a statement, the company said: “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.”
Moringa is a plant native to sub-Himalayan areas of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan. It is also grown in the tropics, and is an important food source in some parts of the world. The plant is easy to grow, and the leaves contain plenty of vitamins and minerals when dried, making it ideal for feeding programs in India and Africa to fight malnutrition.
To see a full list of the Raw Meal products, click on this link.
