Recall of 53 beverages and food products for possible Cronobacter contamination

Lyons Magnus, LLC, is voluntarily recalling not one, not two, not three, but 53 food and beverage products. The reason, according to a statement from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).is possible infection with not so friendly microbes such as e.g Cronobacter sakazakii. Cronies back sake socks? Corona back your ziti bag? No, Cronobacter sakazakii, which is a bacterium formerly known as equally difficult to spell Enterobacter sakazakii.

Here’s a tweet from the FDA about the recall:

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Apparently, the analyzes found that Lyons Magnus’ products “did not meet commercial standards for sterility,” in the words of the FDA. This was a fancy way of saying that things weren’t clean enough to ensure that no bad bacteria got into the products. The recall includes 53 products belonging to the following brands: Lyons Ready Care, Lyons Barista Style, Pirq, Glucerna, Aloha, Intelligentsia, Kate Farms, Oatly, Premier Protein, MRE, Stumptown and Imperial. Many of these products are dairy-like products that are not actually dairy. So, for example, if you happen to see a box of Aloha Chocolate Sea Salt Protein 330 ml, you can say goodbye to the product if the Universal Product Code (UPC) is 842096112355, the lot code is 8312 or 9312, and the best before date is either 12 or July 13, 2023. Therefore, before consuming products from the aforementioned brands, please check the list included in the FDA notice to ensure that the UPC and lots do not match. Otherwise, you may have a lot of problems.

So far, there have been no reports of illness after people have consumed these products. Now, Cronobacter diseases are quite rare. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests that each year on average they receive only about two to four reports of infections in infants, although there is the caveat that no state other than Minnesota is required to report such infections. Just because bacteria gets into your body doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll get sick. In fact, you could even be carrying the bacteria in your poop without realizing it, which is another reason not to play with your poop.

However, if someone asks you if you want something Cronobacter with your drink, your answer should be “no. No way.” The bacteria results in a fever, vomiting, wound infection, or urinary tract infection, depending on where the bacteria may have entered your body. Obviously, none of these would be fun.

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However, the even greater concern is the life-threatening mischief that could occur. If you happen to be an infant and somehow read this, congratulations on your reading ability. Also, keep in mind that your immune system is still relatively undeveloped. This can make you much more susceptible to serious life-threatening conditions Cronobacter bloodstream infections or Cronobacter meningitis. Meningitis is inflammation of the membranes that surround your brain like Saran Wrap around a baked potato. Up to 40% of infants suffer from Cronobacter meningitis can lead to death. Blood infections are more likely to occur in people age 65 and older, who are taking immunosuppressants, or who also have a chronic illness.

So if you have any of the 53 products on the recall list, either throw them away immediately or return them to where you bought them for a refund. Note that disposal does not mean putting in your mouth or your roommate’s mouth. If you have any questions, Lyons Magnus offers a 24-hour Recall Support Center that you can contact at 1-800-627-0557 or through their website. You may be tempted to drink this non-dairy product that looks like dairy. But if it is on the recall list and ends up being infected with Cronobacter or some other bad germ, may end up hitting you in your dairy-air, so to speak.