If You Have This Drink at Home, Get Rid of It Now, Authorities Say
If you want to protect your health, it's time to clear this out of your kitchen now.
With warmer temperatures moving in as summer approaches, drinking enough liquids to avoid dehydration is more important than ever. And while keeping water handy may help you avoid being parched, not every drink in your fridge may be a safe bet for quenching your thirst, especially now that a specific type of beverage is being pulled from the market due to safety concerns. Read on to discover if you should be tossing this drink now.
RELATED: This One Food Is Being Pulled From Shelves Permanently.
Empire Fruit, Inc. issued a recall on its Tart Cherry Juice.
On June 11, Othello, Washington-based Empire Fruit, Inc. announced that it was recalling its 16-oz. bottles of SCORE Montmorency Tart Cherry Juice.
The juices affected by the recall, which were marketed as being effective at aiding muscle recovery, fighting inflammation, and improving sleep, can be identified by their best by dates of 2/15/2022 and 2/16/2022.
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The juice may be contaminated with listeria.
According to the recall notice, the juice was pulled from the market after it was discovered that it may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, a type of pathogenic bacteria.
The potential contamination was discovered during a routine inspection conducted by the Washington State Department of Agriculture, which found that the products had not been properly pasteurized.
Listeria can cause serious illness, particularly among vulnerable populations.
Consuming products contaminated with listeria can lead to listeriosis, an infection that affects approximately 1,600 people each year and kills an estimated 260 people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Immunocompromised individuals, pregnant people, newborns, and adults over the age of 65 are most susceptible to serious listeriosis infections. The most common symptoms of listeriosis are flu-like symptoms, as well as confusion, convulsions, headache, fever, loss of balance, muscle pain, and stiff neck; symptoms typically develop within four weeks of exposure to listeria, but may appear up to 70 days later.
If you have the juice at home, don't drink it.
While no sicknesses or other adverse effects had been reported at the time of the recall, those in possession of the affected juice are "urged not to drink it." Instead, return it to the store from which it was purchased for a full refund.
If you have questions about the recall, you can also call Empire Fruit, Inc. at 509-488-1049 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT.
RELATED: If You Have This Spice at Home, Throw It Away Immediately, FDA Says.
