Olive Recall: Botulism Risk
URGENT WARNING ABOUT OLIVES AND BOTULISM: If you become ill, doctors may not know the tests needed to link your case of botulism to the recalled olives. Please call us--at the hospital if necessary--so we can help you get the tests you need and make sure your legal rights are protected. Our toll-free number is 1-888-377-8900.
Cerignola, Nocellara, and Castelvetrano olives have been pulled from distribution because of the risk of contamination with Clostridium botulinum. All olives of these types have been recalled and all packages include codes beginning with the letter "G" followed by 3 or 4 numbers. The following brands have been recalled: Borrelli, Bonta di Puglia, Cento, Corrado's, Dal Raccolto, Flora, Roland and Vantia.
Clostridium botulinum is a foodborne pathogen that can cause severe illness or death. It produces the most deadly toxin of any microbe, the botulinum toxin, responsible for the disease known as botulism. The olives that have been recalled were found to have been packaged at a higher than normal pH, which provides an environment conducive to Clostridium botulinum growth.
If you ate any of the recalled olives, you should watch for symptoms of botulism. Symptoms of foodborne botulism generally begin 18 to 36 hours after eating a contaminated food, but they can occur as early as 6 hours or as late as 10 days.
If you are diagnosed with botulism, contact Pritzker | Ruohonen for a free consultation. The firm is one of the few in the United States with extensive experience in foodborne illness litigation. For information on foodborne illness, please see our website, www.pritzkerlaw.com.
Is it safe to eat home cured olives that are in olive oil, not vinegar? I believe they were kept in a salt brine for a period of time and then packed in jars in olive oil.
I remember reading years ago that garlic should not be put in olive oil to flavor it because of the danger of botulism unless it is kept in the regrigerator.