Garden of Life refreshes brand as Salmonella outbreak grows

By Joseph James Whitworth

- Last updated on GMT

Related tags Salmonella

The re-branded Raw Organic Meal without moringa leaf powder
The re-branded Raw Organic Meal without moringa leaf powder
Salmonella illnesses linked to Garden of Life RAW Meal Organic Shake & Meal Products have reached 27 from 20 states.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said nine more ill people had been reported from eight states with the most recent starting on March 13.

Alabama, California, Hawaii, Michigan, and West Virginia have been added to the list of states that include people sickened by Salmonella Virchow.

“Consumers should not eat and retailers should not sell the recalled RAW Meal products. These products have a long shelf life and may still be in people’s homes​,” said the agency.

Illnesses after February 28 might not be reported yet as it takes an average of two to four weeks, it added.

Product refresh

In February, Garden of Life said it had identified the likely source of contamination and will remove the ingredient from future batches.

Now the firm has revealed its shake and meal replacement powder, RAW Meal Organic Shake & Meal, is called Raw Organic Meal and is available nationwide with a new look.

The packaging highlights the positioning of the product as a low glycemic, high protein and fiber shake that is certified USDA Organic and NON-GMO Project Verified.

Raw Organic Meal products have been reformulated to remove moringa leaf powder and the firm said the taste had not changed.

Brian Ray, Garden of Life president, said Raw Meal had led the natural products industry in meal replacement sales for the past several years.

garden of life new 2
Pictures: New Garden of Life products

"We believe the new design and packaging of Raw Organic Meal will appeal to a wide range of health-conscious consumers who are seeking more USDA Certified and Non-GMO Project Verified foods."

Outbreak investigation

According to available information, illness dates range from December 5, 2015 to March 13.

Among 19 ill people with available information, five were hospitalized but no deaths have been reported.

Garden of Life recalled lots of RAW Meal Organic Shake & Meal products, in chocolate, original, vanilla, and vanilla chai, on January 29 and expanded this notice on February 12.

Recalled products were available nationwide in many retail stores and online.

Utah Public Health Laboratory confirmed at the start of February that Salmonella was isolated from an open container of Garden of Life RAW Meal organic shake product from a case patient.

Testing by Utah and Oklahoma Public Health Laboratory confirmed Salmonella isolates matched the outbreak strain.

FDA sampling confirmed the outbreak strain of Salmonella Virchow in Organic Moringa Leaf powder used in recalled RAW Meal Organic Shake & Meal Replacement products.

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) and the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) said the FDA had warned them product may have been supplied to businesses but no illnesses were reported.

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