FDA: Recall Of 53 Beverage And Nutritional Products For Potential Cronobacter Contamination

Lyons Magnus, LLC, is voluntarily recalling not one, not two, not three, but 53 nutritional and beverage products. The reason, according to a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announcement, is potential contamination with not-so-friendly microbes such as Cronobacter sakazakii. Cronies back socks of saké? Corona back your sack of ziti? No, Cronobacter sakazakii, which is a bacteria formerly known as the similarly hard to spell Enterobacter sakazakii.

Here’s a tweet from the FDA on the recall:

Apparently, analyses found that the Lyons Magnus products “did not meet commercial sterility specifications,” in the words of the FDA. This was a fancy way of saying that things were not clean enough to ensure that no bad bacteria got into the products. The recall encompasses 53 products that fall within the following brands: Lyons Ready Care, Lyons Barista Style, Pirq, Glucerna, Aloha, Intelligentsia, Kate Farms, Oatly, Premier Protein, MRE, Stumptown, and Imperial. Many of these products are dairy-like products that aren’t really dairy. So, for example, if you happen to see an Aloha Chocolate Sea Salt Plant-Based Protein 330 milliliter carton, you may want to say bye-bye to the product if the Universal Product Code (UPC) is 842096112355, the Lot Code is 8312 or 9312, and the Best By Date is either July 12 or 13, 2023. Therefore, before consuming any products from the aforementioned brands, check the list included in the FDA announcement to make sure that the UPC and the Lots don’t match. Otherwise you could possibly have lots of problems.

So far, there have been no reports of illnesses after folks have consumed these products. Now, Cronobacter illnesses are quite rare. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates that each year on average they receive only around two to four reports of infections in infants, although there’s the caveat that no other state besides Minnesota is required to report such infections. Just because the bacteria enters your body, doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll get sick. In fact, you could even carry the bacteria in your poop without realizing it, which is yet another reason to not play with poop.

Nevertheless, if someone asks you whether you want some Cronobacter with your drink, your answer should be “no. Heck, no.” The bacteria most often results in a fever, vomiting, a wound infection, or a urinary tract infection, depending on where the bacteria may have entered your body. However, more badness could happen, especially if your immune system is weakened. While your infant days may be relatively carefree full of burping and peeing wherever you want to, your immune system is not yet fully developed. This can leave you a lot more susceptible to severe life-threatening Cronobacter bloodstream infections or Cronobacter meningitis. Meningitis is inflammation of the membranes that surround your brain like Saran Wrap around a baked potato. Up to 40% of infants afflicted with Cronobacter meningitis can end up dying. Bloodstream infections are more likely to occur in those who are 65 years and older, are on immunosuppressants, or have a chronic illness as well.

So if you have any of the 53 products on the recall list, either dispose of them immediately or return them to where you purchased them to get a refund. Note that dispose does not mean put into your mouth or into your roommate’s mouth. If you have any questions, Lyons Magnus does offer a 24-hour Recall Support Center that can be reached at 1-800-627-0557 or via their website. Cronobacter illnesses may be rare. But that doesn’t mean that you want to say aloha to the bacteria.