California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Director Dr. Ron Chapman warned consumers today not to eat Taste of Roux, LLC jarred soups because they may have been improperly produced, making them susceptible to contamination with Clostridium Botulinum. Ingestion of botulism toxin from improperly processed jarred and canned foods may lead to serious illness and death. No illnesses have been linked to any of the affected products at this time.
Taste of Roux, LLC of Valley Village, California is voluntarily recalling the following varieties of jarred soups: Lentil, Black Bean, Tomato, Carrot Ginger, Vegetarian Chili, and Detox. The soups were sold under the Taste of Roux label and packaged in quart and pintglass jars with screw-on metal lids. The product labels do not include any coding or “use by” dates. Photographs of the affected packages can be found HERE.
The recalled soups were only sold at:
• Malibu Farmers Market, 23555 Civic Center Way, Malibu, CA 90265Sundays, beginning on November 20, 2011
• Autry Farmers Market, 4700 Western Heritage Way, Los Angeles, CA 90027 Saturdays, beginning on May 5, 2012.
Consumers in possession of the recalled products should discard them in the trash. Botulism toxin is odorless and colorless; cooking the soup will not inactivate any toxin that is present.
Botulism is a rare but serious paralytic illness caused by a nerve toxin that is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. The initial symptoms frequently experienced are double or blurred vision, drooping eyelids, and dry or sore throat. Progressive descending paralysis, usually symmetrical, may follow. Additional symptoms may include slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, inability of the neck muscles to support the head; paralysis of the extremities and respiratory muscles may occur. Infants with botulism appear lethargic, feed poorly, are constipated, have a weak cry, and poor muscle tone. Consumers with any of these symptoms should contact their health care provider.