Overview of Daily Harvest and the Outbreak
Daily Harvest is a popular direct-to-consumer food company that offers a variety of plant-based meal kits, smoothies, and other health-conscious frozen food products. Founded in 2015, the company has enjoyed significant success by appealing to health-conscious individuals and the growing market for plant-based eating. However, in mid-2022, Daily Harvest faced a serious crisis when one of its products, the “French Lentil + Leek Crumbles,” was linked to a severe outbreak of illness among customers.
Numerous consumers reported gastrointestinal issues, liver problems, and other symptoms after consuming the product. As reports of illness spread, Daily Harvest issued a recall, but the damage had already begun to unfold. The case attracted widespread attention not only because of the severity of the illnesses but also due to the unusual nature of the ingredients involved, leading to both legal and scientific scrutiny.
Timeline of the Outbreak
- May 2022: The first reports of illness linked to Daily Harvest’s French Lentil + Leek Crumbles begin to surface. Customers report a range of symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, liver damage, and gastrointestinal distress. Some consumers require hospitalization, and a few report that their liver enzyme levels spiked to dangerous levels.
- June 17, 2022: Daily Harvest issues an initial recall notice on the French Lentil + Leek Crumbles, urging consumers to dispose of the product and to cease consumption immediately. This action follows growing customer complaints on social media and other platforms.
- June 23, 2022: Daily Harvest expands its recall notice to include all batches of the French Lentil + Leek Crumbles. By this point, hundreds of customers have reported severe illness, with several consumers seeking legal recourse.
- June–July 2022: Investigations by both governmental agencies and private laboratories begin to determine the cause of the outbreak. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launch inquiries into the situation, while Daily Harvest begins collaborating with independent labs to test the product.
Scientific Investigation
The scientific investigation into the Daily Harvest outbreak centered on identifying the specific component in the French Lentil + Leek Crumbles that was causing such widespread illness. Initially, both regulatory bodies and independent laboratories were puzzled by the symptoms, particularly the unusual liver damage associated with the product. The early hypothesis was that a bacterial or viral contaminant might have been present, but further analysis suggested something more complex.
Ingredient Analysis
One of the primary areas of focus during the investigation was the unique composition of the French Lentil + Leek Crumbles. Unlike many processed foods, Daily Harvest markets itself as using whole, organic ingredients with minimal processing. This meant that rather than artificial additives or preservatives being to blame, it was more likely that one of the natural ingredients was causing the issue.
- Tara Flour: The investigation ultimately honed in on tara flour, a little-known and rarely used ingredient in the U.S. food market. Tara flour is derived from the seeds of the tara tree, native to Peru. It was used as a protein source in the French Lentil + Leek Crumbles, likely to boost the nutritional profile of the product.Scientists found that tara flour can contain naturally occurring toxins, particularly when improperly processed. Specifically, it was theorized that the presence of certain compounds in the flour might be causing hepatotoxicity (liver toxicity) in those who consumed the crumbles. The possibility of an allergic or autoimmune reaction to the specific proteins in tara flour was also explored.
- Testing and Toxins: Several laboratories conducted tests on the tara flour used in the crumbles, looking for potential contaminants, toxins, or unusual proteins. They found that under certain conditions, tara flour could indeed produce toxic compounds that were harmful to human health. The specific toxins have not been widely identified, though some reports suggest they may be related to pyrrolizidine alkaloids, which are known to cause liver damage.
The ingredient had not been widely used in the food supply, and its introduction into a mass-market product like Daily Harvest’s crumbles had unforeseen consequences. The rarity of tara flour in Western diets likely contributed to the delay in identifying it as the culprit, as few toxicology studies had been performed on it before the outbreak.
Liver Damage Mechanisms
The most serious concern arising from the outbreak was the liver damage reported by many consumers. Symptoms included jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes), dark urine, abdominal pain, and elevated liver enzymes, which indicated that the liver was not functioning properly. In some cases, patients were at risk of long-term liver damage or failure, though most recovered after discontinuing use of the product.
Liver toxicity is often caused by the body’s inability to metabolize certain chemicals or toxins, leading to an accumulation that can cause damage to liver cells. The specific mechanism by which tara flour caused this toxicity is still under investigation, but researchers suspect that the flour contains compounds that interfere with normal liver detoxification pathways.
Role of Other Ingredients
In addition to tara flour, other ingredients in the crumbles, such as lentils and leeks, were tested for possible contamination. However, these ingredients are common in the food supply and have not previously been associated with liver toxicity or gastrointestinal issues on this scale. No contamination with common pathogens like Salmonella, Listeria, or E. coli was detected, which further pointed to the tara flour as the primary suspect.
Legal Investigations and Consumer Litigation
As the extent of the illnesses became apparent, many consumers who were affected by the outbreak sought legal action against Daily Harvest. Multiple lawsuits were filed, including class-action suits, as customers demanded compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, and damages related to their pain and suffering.
Legal Grounds for the Lawsuits
The legal claims against Daily Harvest centered on several key issues:
- Negligence: Plaintiffs argued that Daily Harvest had been negligent in introducing a product with a relatively unknown ingredient like tara flour into the food supply without adequate testing or safety protocols. The fact that tara flour had limited history in U.S. food production raised concerns about whether Daily Harvest had properly vetted the ingredient for safety.
- Product Liability: Under U.S. product liability law, companies are responsible for ensuring that the products they sell are safe for consumers. The lawsuits claimed that Daily Harvest had sold a defective product that caused serious harm to those who consumed it. The fact that hundreds of customers became ill after eating the crumbles suggested that the product was inherently dangerous, and plaintiffs sought compensation under strict liability statutes.
- Failure to Warn: Many of the lawsuits also alleged that Daily Harvest had failed to provide adequate warnings to consumers about the potential dangers of the French Lentil + Leek Crumbles. Although the company issued a recall after the illnesses became widespread, plaintiffs argued that it had not acted quickly enough and that there should have been more prominent warnings about potential health risks from the product.
Daily Harvest’s Response
From the onset of the crisis, Daily Harvest publicly expressed concern for the well-being of its customers and committed to cooperating with regulatory authorities. The company initiated a recall and offered refunds to all consumers who had purchased the French Lentil + Leek Crumbles. However, the company faced criticism for its handling of the situation, including accusations that it downplayed the seriousness of the outbreak in its early communications.
In response to the lawsuits, Daily Harvest’s legal team argued that the company had taken appropriate steps to ensure the safety of its products and had acted responsibly by recalling the crumbles as soon as it became aware of the issue. The company also pointed to the unprecedented nature of the outbreak, noting that tara flour had not previously been associated with widespread health problems.
However, legal experts pointed out that companies have an obligation to thoroughly test any new ingredients they introduce into the food supply, particularly if those ingredients have not been widely used in the past. The fact that tara flour was a novel ingredient in the U.S. food system raised questions about whether Daily Harvest had conducted sufficient due diligence.
Settlements and Ongoing Litigation
As of 2023, many of the lawsuits against Daily Harvest remained unresolved, though several were in the process of being settled out of court. The company has faced significant financial pressure from the outbreak, with legal fees and potential settlements running into the millions of dollars. The case has also served as a cautionary tale for other companies in the plant-based and health food industries about the risks of introducing new ingredients without sufficient testing.
Regulatory Response
Both the FDA and CDC conducted extensive investigations into the Daily Harvest outbreak. The FDA took samples of the French Lentil + Leek Crumbles and conducted its own testing, while the CDC monitored reports of illness and tracked the spread of symptoms across different regions of the country.
While the FDA’s investigation confirmed the presence of tara flour in the crumbles, it also highlighted gaps in the regulation of novel ingredients in the food supply. Tara flour had not been subject to rigorous testing in the U.S., and its introduction into a mass-market product without prior approval raised concerns about the oversight of new food ingredients.
In response to the outbreak, there were calls for tighter regulation of the food industry, particularly in the area of novel ingredients and dietary supplements. Some experts have suggested that the FDA should require more comprehensive testing of ingredients like tara flour before they can be used in consumer products, similar to the regulations that apply to new pharmaceutical drugs.
Impact on Daily Harvest and the Food Industry
The outbreak had a significant impact on Daily Harvest’s brand and business. Once known for its health-focused, plant-based meals, the company faced a wave of negative publicity and lost consumer trust. Many customers, particularly those who had experienced illness, swore off Daily Harvest products altogether, and the company struggled to rebuild its reputation.
Beyond Daily Harvest, the outbreak also raised broader concerns within the food industry about the safety of plant-based and novel food products. With consumers increasingly seeking out alternative proteins and health-focused foods, there has been a surge in the use of less traditional ingredients, many of which have not been thoroughly studied for safety.
The Daily Harvest outbreak underscored the importance of rigorous testing and oversight in the food industry, particularly as companies experiment with new ingredients and seek to meet growing consumer demand for innovative, health-conscious products. It also highlighted the need for greater transparency about ingredients and potential risks, as consumers become more aware of the possible dangers posed by even seemingly healthy foods.
Conclusion
The Daily Harvest outbreak of 2022 was a complex case involving an unusual ingredient, widespread consumer illness, and significant legal and regulatory implications. The scientific investigation into the outbreak revealed the dangers of tara flour, a little-known ingredient that caused serious liver damage in some consumers. The legal and regulatory fallout from the case continues to unfold, with lasting effects on both Daily Harvest and the broader food industry. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the importance of thorough testing, transparency, and consumer safety in the fast-evolving world of plant-based and health-conscious foods.
