Canned Coffee Botulinum Recall: Is Your Coffee Safe

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Canned coffee is an increasingly popular drink found in almost any store that sells cold drinks. Because of safety concerns, though, canned coffee sold by Snapchill has been recalled across the country. According to the FDA, the company's canning process was dangerous and put people at risk of a deadly disease called botulism.

These days, we take canned food and drinks for granted. You can go into any supermarket and pick up anything from canned fruit to canned fish. The reason canned food and drinks are so popular is that the process of canning extends the shelf life of the food or drink that's inside. But if the canning process goes wrong, it can be very dangerous. That's what happened with this coffee recall.

So, how do you know which products are safe? And what do you do if you already have some canned coffee sitting in your fridge? Here's what you need to know about the most recent canned coffee recall.

Why is there a coffee recall?

On June 20, 2024, the FDA announced a recall on all canned coffee products sold by Snapchill LLC. This is because the company's canning process didn't meet safety standards and put people at risk for botulism.

Thankfully, there have been no reports of botulism from any products associated with Snapchill. But the company isn't taking any chances. The recall was issued voluntarily to make sure nobody gets sick from drinking improperly canned coffee.

What is botulism?

Botulism is a rare but serious illness. It's caused by a toxin that attacks the body's nerves (a neurotoxin). This neurotoxin is produced by a type of bacteria called Clostridium botulinum.

If you ingest it, the botulism toxin blocks your body's nerves, causing paralysis throughout the whole body. This paralysis can cause your breathing muscles to stop working, meaning you stop breathing.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), botulinum toxins are some of the deadliest substances known.

Botulism has no taste, smell, or appearance. It's almost impossible to know if botulism is present. That's why it's so important for food companies to meet safety standards.

When buying canned food and drinks, look for defects. Avoid all canned food and drinks that are:

• Bulging

• Rusted

• Leaking

• Dented (look for big dents)

These things make it more likely that the food or drink inside could contain botulism.

Botulism symptoms

Symptoms of botulism usually start within hours of consuming contaminated food or drink. It's possible for symptoms to take up to a week to first show up though.

Paralysis from botulism is known as "descending paralysis." This means that the paralysis starts in your chest and arms, and then moves down to your legs and feet.

Symptoms of botulism include:

• Difficulty swallowing

• Muscle weakness

• Double vision or blurry vision

• Droopy eyelids

• Slurred speech

• Difficulty breathing

People who get botulism from contaminated canned foods and drinks might also get symptoms of food poisoning, like:

• Nausea

• Vomiting

• Diarrhea

• Stomach pain

How do I know which products to avoid?

Any canned coffee sold by the company Snapchill LLC should be avoided. Snapchill sells canned coffee under a lot of different brand names. So, it can be hard to know if a particular can of coffee was made by Snapchill.

The easiest way to know if Snapchill made a specific can of coffee is to look right under the nutrition facts. If the can was made by Snapchill, it will say, "produced and distributed by Snapchill LLC."

Some brands sold by Snapchill are:

• 41 & Change, Cold Coffee

• Bent Tree Coffee Squirrel Blend, Autumn Blend, Colombia Sotara, Ethiopia

• Bolt Coffee Delki Guarero, Mass Appeal

• Coffee N Clothes Black, Gold

• Dave's Coffee Falcon Blend

• Eclipse Coffee Roasters Elevate

• First Crack C/O Sound Coffee Big Funky Super Natural

• Gooseneck Coffee Co. Black Iced Coffee

• Hustle N' Grind Cafecito

• Mad Priest Fallen Angel with Vanilla

• Northern Coffeeworks Tanzania Peaberry

• Pink Elephant Nomadic, Roam

• Red Rooster Ethiopia Worka, Funky Chicken, Worka Sakaro

• Shirazi Dist. Little Wolf Cafe Au Lait

• Tinker Ethiopia Gargari

• White Bison Black

Keep in mind that this isn't a complete list. There are over 300 brands that are affected by this recall. To see all the brands affected by this recall, check out this list compiled by the FDA.

What if I already have a can at home?

If you already bought a can of recalled coffee, you should pour it down the drain and then throw out - or recycle - the can.

Snapchill is providing refunds to anyone who already bought a recalled can of coffee. To get a refund, send a picture of the can of coffee as well as proof of purchase to: [email protected].

If you have any questions, you can also email Snapchill directly at: [email protected]. You can also contact Snapchill by phone, Monday to Friday between 9AM and 5PM (EST), at: (920) 632-6018.

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