The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is currently working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state and local health departments to identify the victims of an outbreak of Salmonella Virchow. According to the FDA, trace-back and epidemiological evidence has led authorities to name RAW Meal Organic Shake & Meal Replacement products, produced by Florida company Garden of Life LLC, as the source of this Salmonella outbreak. At least 18 victims across 15 different states have been identified so far, with a single victim of this strain of Salmonella Virchow residing in Florida, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin, and a pair of victims residing in Utah, Minnesota, and New Jersey.
So far there have been no deaths reported, but at least four of the victims have been hospitalized with Salmonellosis.
Initial interviews with 14 of the victims revealed consumption of powdered supplements and meal replacement powders in the days preceding the onset of illness, and at least 10 identified Garden of Life RAW Meal products as the specific product they consumed. Then, following the recall, on February 1, the Utah Public Health Laboratory confirmed that Salmonella had been found in an opened container of Garden of Life RAW Meal organic shake – further analysis by laboratories in both Utah and Oklahoma confirmed that the Salmonella was the same serotype and a genetic match to the outbreak strain.
Garden of Life issued its initial recall on January 29, 2016 of chocolate, original, and vanilla flavored RAW Meal Organic Shake & Meal Replacement. They also recalled vanilla chai products. On February 12, 2016, Garden of Life expanded the recall to include additional lots of the same product as new evidence of contamination was uncovered.
For more information about the Garden of Life Salmonella Virchow outbreak or another outbreak or recall, contact the food safety lawyers at Ron Simon & Associates at 1-888-335-4901.
