Snapchill Canned Coffee Recalled Nationwide Due to Potential Contamination With Deadly Toxin

Roasted coffee beans are seen on display in Bogota, Colombia, on June 5, 2019. Luisa Gonzalez/Reuters

Canned coffee products manufactured by beverage company Snapchill LLC are being recalled because they may contain the potentially fatal botulinum toxin, according to a notice on the Food and Drug Administration’s website.

The Green Bay, Wisconsin-based company initiated the recall after discovering “its current process could lead to the growth and production of the deadly toxin in low acid canned foods,” said the notice, posted June 17.

The recall applies to all products within their expiration date, with the items subject to the recall sold under a range of roaster and brand names in metal can sizes ranging from 7 oz to 12 oz.

The items being recalled were distributed throughout the United States via various coffee roasters and retail locations, as well as via Snapchill’s official website, according to the notice.

Consumers will find a “produced and distributed by Snapchill LLC” label underneath the nutrition facts panel on the products or “Snapchill Coffee” on the item.

A full list of the products subject to the voluntary recall can be found here.

No illnesses Reported Over Recalled Products

To date, no illnesses have been reported from the recalled items and Snapchill is “not aware of any instances in which the company’s products contained botulin toxin,” according to FDA notice.

The coffee manufacturer is working on filing the appropriate notification with the FDA, the agency’s notice said.

The Epoch Times has contacted Snapchill for further comment.

In the meantime, consumers who purchased the items subject to the recall should either destroy them or return them to Snapchill or their original place of purchase to receive a refund.

According to the notice on the FDA’s website, the issue was identified when the agency notified Snapchill that the “low-acid canned foods process for manufacturing the recalled products was not filed with FDA,” as is required by regulation.

On its website, the FDA states that all commercial processors of low-acid and acidified foods in the United Staters and all processors in other countries who export low-acid canned food or acidified food products into the country must register their processing plants with the FDA.

“Wholesalers, importers, distributors, brokers, etc. are not required to register and file processes,” the FDA states. “However, they must ensure that processing firms they represent comply with all registration and process filing requirements.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Clostridium botulinum, the bacteria that make botulinum toxin, are found naturally in many places and generally do not pose a risk.

Symptoms of Botulism

However, in rare instances and under certain conditions, the bacteria make spores that can grow to become one of the most lethal toxins known, leading to people who consume them developing Botulism, a potentially fatal form of food poisoning.

Such conditions include low-oxygen or no-oxygen (anaerobic) environments, low-acid and low-sugar environments, and certain temperature ranges.

Improperly home-canned, preserved, or fermented foods can also provide the right conditions for the spores to grow and make the deadly lethal toxin.

According to the health agency, symptoms of Botulism include difficulty breathing or swallowing, blurred vision, drooping eyelids, double vision, muscle weakness, slurred speech, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Symptoms can begin from six hours to two weeks after eating food that contains botulinum toxin, according to the FDA. Anybody experiencing symptoms should seek medical attention immediately.

In some cases, Botulism can weaken the muscles involved in breathing, leading to death.

Snapchill will offer customers full refunds for any of the affected products, although customers must provide appropriate proof of purchase, including photos of the product, or products, before destroying them.

Further information about the return and refund process can be found at [email protected].