Dive Brief:
- Coffee manufacturer Snapchill issued a recall for all of its low-acid cold canned coffee products, within expiration date, on June 17. The recall came after the Food and Drug Administration identified the company’s production process could potentially lead to the growth of the deadly toxin clostridium botulinum.
- The FDA identified the issue after it found that Snapchill’s low-acid canned foods manufacturing process, which could lead to the toxin, was not filed with the federal agency, as is required. The recalled products were manufactured at a facility in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and included 275 product types, according to a Snapchill representative.
- No illnesses have been reported to date and the Wisconsin-based coffee maker is not aware of any instances in which the company’s products contained the pathogen, a Snapchill representative said in an email.
Dive Insight:
A company representative said in an email that Snapchill will publicly share an update once production begins again but gave no timeline for when that could happen.
The company’s cold canned coffee products have been distributed nationwide since 2019 without any known consumer cases of botulism, a Snapchill compliance statement said.
“At Snapchill, the safety and satisfaction of our customers are our highest priorities, and we are working swiftly to resolve the issue,” the company said in the statement. “We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience or concern this recall may cause. We are working with the FDA on solutions to restart production within standards.”
The low-acid canned foods production process involves brewing the coffee hot then instantly chilling it to 38 degrees to prevent oxidation, according to Snapchill's website.
The products are sold through a range of external coffee roasters and brand names in a variety of metal can sizes, ranging from seven ounces to 12 ounces. They are identifiable by the language “Produced and distributed by Snapchill LLC” underneath the nutrition facts panel. Some of the products can also be identified by the text “Snapchill Coffee” on the label, according to the FDA recall announcement.
The growth of the toxin clostridium botulinum can lead to a potentially fatal form of food poisoning called Botulism. The illness can cause common symptoms such as general weakness, dizziness, double-vision and trouble with speaking or swallowing, difficulty breathing, weakness of other muscles, abdominal distension and constipation.
Symptoms can begin from six hours to two weeks after eating food that contains botulinum toxin. People experiencing these problems should seek immediate medical attention, according to the FDA.
