Englewood Cliffs, NJA dietary supplement that has for decades remained a staple for millions of dieters has been recalled due to bacterial contamination. Late last week Unilever ordered a voluntary recall of every container of its Slim Fast diet drinks currently on store shelves or in homes—an estimated 10 million units—over fears that contamination could cause diarrhea, nausea and vomiting.
MSNBC reported Friday that the manufacturer discovered the microorganism Bacillus cereus in the diet drink. The pathogen has caused an unknown number of people to fall ill anywhere between six and 15 hours after consumption. According to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), everyone has recovered within 24 hours and there have been no reported deaths.
Slim Fast manufacturer Unilever says the probability of serious health problems is remote, but ordered a precautionary recall nonetheless. Unilever's US headquarters in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, stated that all Slim Fast liquid products have been recalled, regardless of best-before date, bar code, lot code or UPC number. The Slim Fast drinks were sold nationwide in cartons of four, six and 12 metallic cans. Each can holds 11 ounces of the product and were also sold individually.
Unilever goes on to say that no other Slim Fast products are affected by the recall. Powdered shakes, meal bars and snack bars that share the Slim Fast name are considered safe.
The contamination appears to have emerged during the manufacturing process, but the cause and source have yet to be determined. An investigation is underway and production at the facility that makes the Slim Fast drinks has been halted, pending further investigation.
CBC News in Canada advised consumers to throw out the drinks and to contact Unilever at their discretion for a full refund on the purchase of the tainted product. As of today there was no information on the official Unilever site with regard to the recall.