Chia Powder Recalled In US and Canada After Reported Salmonella Cases

The health food made famous by the Chia Pet products and recently touted for its health benefits, has been recalled due to recent reports of salmonella.

A salmonella outbreak with 21 reported cases of infection in the US and 34 infections in Canada has spurred a product recall for Chia powder products in both countries.

The chia powder recall includes brand names Navitas Naturals, Williams Sonoma and Green Smoothie Girl. Most of the products came in 8 oz containers and have a best-buy date of November 2015.

Three different strains of salmonella have been reported in the product recall, and are thought to have originated from organic chia seed powder produced at Health Matters America Inc in New York state. The company began a voluntary product recall for their powders on June 4th, but the chia powder recalled focused primarily on Canada until recently.

The CDC said that, because chia seeds have such a long shelf life, consumers may still have some of the salmonella-contaminated products in their kitchens. The agency recommends that consumers check their food supplies and either throw away the chia seed powders under product recall, or return them to the store.

The breakdown of salmonella contamination related to the product recall is: Arizona (1), California (3), Colorado (1), Connecticut (3), Florida (1), Massachusetts (1), Michigan (1), New York (4), Ohio (1), Utah (1), Washington (1), and Wisconsin (3).

Salmonella is one of the most common food-borne illnesses, and in healthy adults can last between 4 and 7 days. Most cases clear up on their own without treatment, but salmonella infections can be serious or fatal in young children, elderly adults, or people with compromised immune systems. Healthy people infected with salmonella can experience symptoms such as fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Dehydration is a potentially fatal side effect, and in rare instances, salmonella can enter the blood steam and cause heart infection or arthritis.

Defective Products Can Lead to Health or Food Recalls

Every year, thousands of consumers sustain serious injuries from defective products, whether broken bones from a car accident, or a serious illness from a food-borne pathogen.Many of these injuries could be avoided if the manufacturers or distributors of these products took additional steps to ensure consumer safety. Defective products that commonly cause injuries include medical devices, pharmaceutical products, food recalls, and other defective products such as toys, cars and automotive parts.

There are a number of reasons that defective products make it to our shelves:

• Defective manufacturing
• Inadequate testing
• Food-borne pathogens
• Design defects
• Marketing Misrepresentation

Consumers that have been harmed by defective products such as drugs, medical devices, improperly-sealed food, or other products, may be eligible to receive legal remedies.

The Strom Law Firm Protects Citizens Harmed by Delayed Product or Food Recalls

The attorneys at the Strom Law Firm aim to protect our clients’ health and safety, and hold manufacturers to the highest possible standard of safety. Product recalls are especially important because defective drugs, medical devices, food, and toys can seriously injure or even kill consumers. If you or a loved one have experienced severe, life-limiting side effects from a defective food, product or drug, and believe that your pain stems from a product, drug, or food recall that came too late, you may be entitled to compensation. The Strom Law Firm can help. We offer free, confidential consultations to discuss the facts of your case, so contact us today. 803.252.4800