Daily Harvest says pathogen, toxicology results 'negative so far' during French Lentil, Leek Crumbles testing
Some consumers claim they have had their gallbladder removed after eating the Daily Harvest product
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Daily Harvest said Wednesday that all "pathogen and toxicology results have come back negative so far" while testing the recalled lentil-based product.
Regardless, the meal delivery company says it will continue "extensive testing" of the French Lentil + Leek Crumbles product, which was temporarily discontinued after several customers posted online that they became severely ill and even went to the emergency room after consuming it.
The company said it has already started working with U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and multiple independent labs to investigate the complaints.
"We are working with a group of experts to help us get to the bottom of this—that includes microbiologists, toxin and pathogen experts as well as allergists," Daily Harvest said in an updated notice Wednesday.
DAILY HARVEST RECALLS FRENCH LENTIL, LEEK CRUMBLES FOLLOWING REPORTS OF SEVERE ILLNESSES
The company first notified customers on Sunday after receiving an undisclosed number of customer reports that the product had caused gastrointestinal issues. The company didn't specify in its notice how many complaints it received.
Days before the company posted the first warning notice, though, scores of people posted on a Reddit thread that they had such severe stomach pain that they had to go to the hospital.
A handful even claimed that they had their gallbladder removed.
"I’m here with the same experience as all of you. I even had my gallbladder removed. Time for legal action guys," one person wrote on the thread that has now accumulated over 800 comments.
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Several other customers also posted to Twitter about their experience in the hospital.
"Okay, so this is what made me deathly ill last weekend," a Twitter user wrote.
Users are re-sharing TikTok user Abby Silverman's now-viral video about getting hospitalized twice after getting a PR package from the company.
"After consuming a Daily Harvest’s French Lentil + Leak Crumbles, Abby Silverman developed extreme stomach and gastrointestinal pain," Silverman's lawyer, Mark Apostolos, who is a partner at Sullivan, Papain, Block, McGrath, Coffinas, & Cannavo, told FOX Business. "We are investigating and evaluating all legal remedies for Abby, who was stricken with illness after consuming this product that was mailed to her."
The company, which says it took immediate action by launching a voluntary recall, reached out "multiple times directly to consumers who received the product, instructing them to dispose of it and not eat it."
On Wednesday, the company said it's still in touch with customers who reported adverse reactions and is still "collecting data to further the investigation."
"We are doing everything we can, as quickly as we can to identify the root cause," Daily Harvest said. "Nothing matters more than the health and safety of our customers and we deeply value the trust you put in us and our food every day."
An FDA spokesperson told FOX Business that the agency can't confirm or deny if an investigation that's not listed on its outbreak table is planned or in progress.
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However, the agency said it "takes seriously reports of possible adulteration of a food that may also cause illnesses or injury," the spokesperson said.
In certain cases, depending on the seriousness of the problem, an FDA investigator may visit the person who made the complaint, collect product samples, and initiate inspections, according to the spokesperson.