By Kate Aubusson
Inside Out is recalling its unsweetened almond milk which was found to contain a toxin that can cause a rare but serious paralysing illness after a man was admitted to a Sydney hospital suffering severe symptoms having drunk the milk.
Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) issued an alert early on Thursday morning announcing the recall of Inside Out Nutritious Goods’ Unsweetened Almond Milk Collagen + Calcium + Prebiotics 1-litre product with the expiry date marking of “01 March 2023”.
Recalled: Inside Out Nutritious Goods’ Unsweetened Almond Milk Collagen + Calcium + Prebiotics 1-litre product with the expiry date marking of “01 March 2023”.
“The recall is due to potential biotoxin contamination (Botulinum toxin),” FSANZ said in its alert.
“Food products contaminated with Botulinum toxin may cause illness if consumed.”
The product is sold at Woolworths.
“Consumers should not [consume] this product. Any consumers concerned about their health should seek medical advice and should return the products to the place of purchase for a full refund,” the alert said.
Botulism is a rare but serious illness that causes descending paralysis caused by nerve toxins made by Clostridium botulinum bacteria.
It can result from eating food that has been contaminated with the toxin (foodborne botulism) or ingesting food, dust or soil that contains bacteria that produce the toxin (intestinal botulism) or contaminating a wound with the bacteria (wound botulism).
Intestinal botulism affecting children under 12 months of age is known as infant botulism. This is the most common form of botulism.
NSW Health said the contamination was identified when a person experienced severe symptoms of botulism after drinking the product, and was admitted to Royal North Shore Hospital.
“The person was admitted to hospital, where they continue to receive treatment,” the statement said.
The NSW Food Authority is investigating the manufacturing of the product to determine the possible cause of contamination.
Keira Glasgow, Director of NSW Health’s One Health branch, said that, while foodborne botulism is very rare in Australia, the toxin can be extremely dangerous and can cause life-threatening illnesses.
“Early symptoms of foodborne botulism include weakness, fatigue and vertigo. While these symptoms occur commonly due to a number of health conditions, with botulism it is usually followed by blurred vision, dry mouth and difficulty swallowing. Nausea and vomiting may also occur,” Glasgow said.
“These symptoms can progress to paralysis of the arm muscles and continue down the body to the trunk and legs, and paralysis of breathing muscles can be fatal,” she said.
“We are urging anyone who has consumed this product and experiences these serious symptoms to seek immediate medical attention by visiting their nearest emergency department or calling triple zero for emergency assistance.”
“Most cases recover if diagnosed and treated early. In foodborne botulism, symptoms may begin from a few hours to several days after consuming the contaminated product,” she said.
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