According to press reports, the Food and Drug Administration has issued its most serious recall for peeled garlic sold in New York, Vermont and Pennsylvania over a potential botulism risk.
The Class I recall is for Christopher Ranch Garlic, sold in 6-ounce containers at Tops stores in those states, according to a March 27 announcement from the supermarket chain.
“Eating the food may cause health problems or even death,” the store notice warned.
The FDA’s Class I recall is for a Christopher Ranch peeled garlic that was stored at the wrong temperatures.
The garlic was improperly stored in open-air coolers when it should be stored at temps between 32 and 37 degrees — allowing a potential for botulism growth, according to the notice.
The affected garlic contains the UPC codes 00068826753408 and 00071894000005, and all best-by dates are affected.
Tops grocery stores will issue a refund for the affected products with valid proof of purchase.
About botulism
Food contaminated with spores that cause botulism poisoning does not look or smell bad. Untreated, botulism can paralyze the muscles needed for breathing, resulting in sudden death.
Anyone who has eaten any of the recalled product and developed signs of botulism poisoning should immediately seek medical attention.
In foodborne botulism, symptoms generally begin 18 to 36 hours after eating contaminated food. However, symptoms can begin as soon as 6 hours after or up to 10 days later.
The symptoms of botulism may include some of all of the following: double vision, blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, difficulty breathing, a thick-feeling tongue, dry mouth, and muscle weakness. People with botulism poisoning may not show all of these symptoms at once.
If untreated, the disease may progress, and symptoms may worsen to cause paralysis of specific muscles, including those used in breathing and those in the arms, legs, and the body from the neck to the pelvis area.
