A recall of thousands of juice pouches has been upgraded to a high risk level over contamination concerns.
Evergreen Orchard Farm, LLC, initially recalled 22,000 pouches of three different juices in July. According to a memo from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the recall was initiated because of a “lack of pasteurization and sanitation records,” which are documents required to demonstrate that foods and drinks are safe to consume.
On September 3, the recall was classified as a Class II, which is “a situation in which use of or exposure to a violative product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or where the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote,” as noted by the FDA.
The recalled products include the Evergreen Farm Korean Pear Juice, Evergreen Farm Grape Juice, and Evergreen Farm Jujube Juice. Each case included 25 foil pouches of juice, and they can be identified by different codes shared in the FDA’s memo.
About 610 cases of Korean Pear Juice and 197 cases of Jujube Juice were recalled. Meanwhile, 78 cases of Grape Juice, which means a total of 22,125 pouches of all three flavors, were recalled.
The recalled juices were distributed at different retail stores in three states: Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York.
As of September 10, there have not been any illnesses reported.
Evergreen Orchard Farm, LLC also issued a statement to Newsweek, saying: “The product should be returned to the distributor or market from which the items were purchased. Any complaints and issues must be directly addressed to Evergreen Orchard Farm.”
The Independent has contacted Evergreen Orchard Farm, LLC for comment.
Pasteurization of juices is a heat-treated process to kill harmful bacteria, according to the FDA. The health organization notes that “reports of outbreaks of foodborne illness, often called ‘food poisoning,’ have been traced to drinking juices” that have not been “treated to kill harmful bacteria.”
Symptoms of foodborne illness can occur within one to three days of eating the contaminated food. The symptoms can include vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and flu-like symptoms, such as fever, headache, and body aches.
The juices ae the latest in a string of recalls over potential contamination with harmful bacteria.
Earlier this week, the Middlefield Original Cheese Co-Op facility, based in Ohio, announced a recall of a variety of its cheeses because they may have been contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, a disease-causing bacteria.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Listeria is a “bacteria that can contaminate many foods,” with infections caused by eating food with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria. Although symptoms can vary, a listeria infection can “cause invasive illness and intestinal illness.”
Also, this month, multiple bags of Endico frozen vegetables were recalled because of Listeria concerns. The recalled products were sold in frozen 2.5lb clear plastic bags, with one product including peas and carrots, and another including mixed vegetables.
