The Scary Reason Oatly And Glucerna Are Being Recalled Again

Product recalls are a scary and confusing time when it comes to foods and beverages. You might be buying your regular products at the grocery store, only to realize weeks later that a recall has been initiated and the products may not be safe after all. Sometimes, recalls are preventative and few people get sick from any sold products, but it is important to follow protocols regarding recalls because there is usually no way to tell if already purchased products contain dangerous bacteria once they are in your home. 

Over the past two months, a nutritional beverage company called Lyons Magnus has been recalling numerous drinks as part of a suspected commercial sterility breach, including Oatly, Glucerna, and Optimum Nutrition, among others, for a list totaling 90 products, per Nutrition Insight. Other brands implicated by the recall include Organic Valley milk and Stumptown Cold Brew coffee, as well as a number of protein drinks. The recall comes after an FDA investigation into whether or not the drinks may contain harmful bacteria after questions about the conditions of sterility in manufacturing locations.

The bacteria behind the recall are Cronobacter sakazakii and Clostridium botulinum. According to the FDA, the symptoms of Cronobacter sakazakii infection can include urinary tract infection, fever, and vomiting, while Clostridium botulinum can cause severe food poisoning with symptoms including blurred vision, drooping eyelids, muscle weakness, and difficulty swallowing. Symptoms from the Cronobacter sakazakii and Clostridium botulinum bacteria can appear anytime from six hours to two weeks after ingestion, reports the New York Times.

Although the bacteria have not actually been detected in the products, the FDA states that they are being recalled because they did not meet commercial sterility specifications. Thus far, no illnesses have been reported from the sale of the recalled products, per a company statement.

In recent months, there have also been recalls of batches of Banana Boat Sunscreen for carcinogens and several Jif Peanut Butter products over possible salmonella, per the New York Times. Of the Oatly and Stumptown products that have been recalled, some of the most popular and likely to be in customer's fridges, per CNBC, are: Oatly Oat-Milk Barista Edition, Stumptown Cold Brew Coffee with Oat Milk in original, horchata, and chocolate flavors, and Premier Protein Chocolate, Vanilla, and Cafe Latte drinks.

You can see the complete list of recalled products in this FDA announcement. As usual, customers are also encouraged not to eat or drink products past their "best by" date.