Thousands of cans of Starbucks’ Vanilla Espresso Triple shot energy drink are being recalled in seven states over concerns about metal fragments inside.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning for 2,600 cans – which sell for about $3 each – that are best labeled before March 20, 2023. It affects seven states: Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Oklahoma and Texas.
It’s not clear how metal shards can stick to beverages, but in similar cases this is due to debris from factory machinery and onto the product.
Food safety experts ‘highly recommend’ products to be tested for contamination at factories using X-rays, low-power microwaves and specialized metal detectors, Food Safety Journal news.
Metal flakes pose a serious risk to consumers, with the FDA warning that their consumption can lead to tooth damage, cut mouth and throat, and – in severe cases – perforation of the intestines which can lead to to death.
The drink is being recalled across seven states. It sells for about $3 each, usually in supermarkets and other stores. Starbucks and PepsiCo – the manufacturers – haven’t said how the metal pieces got into the drinks, but this could be debris that came out of the machines during the manufacturing process.
The FDA issued the recall on September 8, saying it was ‘contaminated by foreign material (metallic flakes)’.
Although the 15 oz cans carry the Starbucks logo, the drinks are manufactured by PepsiCo. Neither company responded to DailyMail.com’s request for comment.
The drink is usually sold in supermarkets, convenience stores and other retail stores, rather than coffee shops run by Starbucks itself.
The FDA considers any product to be contaminated if it is ready-to-eat and contains any hard or sharp object longer than 7 mm – less than one centimeter.
The Journal of Food Safety says glass is the most common contaminant, although other common types include metal and pieces of plastic.
They say companies are encouraged to test their products for contamination before they go on sale on store shelves.
This includes regular checks of the production line to make sure no parts break and fall into the product, and deploying low-power X-rays and microwaves to look for possible contaminants. may happen.
Health officials warn that consuming metal fragments in food carries the risk of damaging teeth as well as cuts to the throat or mouth. In severe cases, debris can also move into the intestine, where they can cause perforations — or create a hole in its wall.
This is very painful and can cause the poison to leak into the rest of the body, which can lead to death.
Warnings are often issued through recalls because they relate to dangerous diseases such as E.coli, which pose a great risk to people’s health.
But there are also a number of ‘foreign object’ recalls every year – this usually happens when a bit of a machine breaks down during production.
Just last month, animal biscuits from Market Pantry – featuring a bear – were recalled after it was discovered they may have been contaminated with metals.
One of the most notable recalls this year was for popular peanut butter brand Skippy, where nearly 10,000 cases – weighing 161,000 lbs – were recalled after stainless steel shards were found inside. some jars.
Source: | This article originally belonged to Dailymail.co.uk
