Pure Tassie’s Organic Pure Apple Juice Drinks Recalled Due to Mycotoxin Patulin
Juicy Isle Pty Ltd, an Australian juice company, is recalling their product Pure Tassie’s Organic Pure Apple Juice Drinks due to concerns of mycotoxin patulin contamination. The recall includes the following products: Apple and Blackcurrant 1.5L with best before dates up to and including 11/18/20; Apple 1.5L, with best before dates up to and including 01/26/21; Apple and Ginger 1.5L, with best before date of 12/05/20; Apple and Raspberry 1.5L, with best before dates up to and including 10/07/20; Apple 350ml, with best before dates up to and including 11/17/20; Apple and Blackcurrant 350ml, with best before date of 07/09/20; and Apple and Raspberry 350ml, with best before dates up to and including 11/02/20. The products were distributed throughout Australia in the supermarket Coles, Woolworths, and IGA, as well as in other stores in NSW, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, and Western Australia. Consumers are advised to not ingest the product, rather return it to the place of purchase for a refund.
The mycotoxin patulin is most commonly found in rotting apples and other fruits, grains, and vegetables. Patulin does not cause typical food poisoning symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, and nausea. Instead, patulin is believed to be genotoxic, meaning that it damages genetic informations in cells, which can lead to cancer. Recent studies have tested the toxicity effects of patulin and tried to find the extent of pautlin’s genotoxic effects, but results have been inconclusive and more research is needed. Restrictions on the appropriate amount of patulin were set in 2003 by the World Health Organization (WHO), which recommends a maximum concentration 50 micrgrams/L of patulin in apple juice, which is the same amount recommended by the European Union (EU). Food Standards of Australia and New Zealand did not reveal how much patulin was found in the recalled apple juice products from Juicy Isle, though it is believed to be over the recommended concentration and toxic.
