Death Wish Coffee Company, a New York-based coffee producer that advertises itself as maker of the “world’s strongest coffee,” is recalling some of its products over concerns that it could become tainted with the deadly botulin toxin.
Officials with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said in a notice issued Tuesday that 11-ounce cans of Death Wish Nitro Cold Brew were being recalled after the company determined that the process used to make the drinks "could lead to the growth and production of the deadly toxin botulin."
Botulism is a potentially fatal form of food poisoning that can cause dizziness, double-vision, difficulty breathing, weakness and constipation, among other symptoms.
Company officials said in a notice posted to the Death Wish Coffee website that the recall was issued as a precaution and that no illnesses have been reported in connection to the drinks.
“Our customers’ safety is of paramount importance,” Death Wish Coffee Co. owner Mike Brown said in a statement. He said the recall was a “proactive step to ensure that the highest quality, safest and, of course, strongest coffee products we produce are of industry-exceeding standards.”
The process used to make the canned coffee, which is infused with nitrogen, is relatively new and little regulated, according to company officials. Death Wish Coffee Co. tested its method for producing the drinks for nearly four months, with the help of an outside process authority, before it got a recommendation to tweak its manufacturing process to ensure no botulin toxins are produced.
According to company officials, “With any nitrogen-based products on the market there is a remote possibility of the risk of Clostridium botulinum, a serious pathogen that can lead to the growth and production of the deadly toxin botulin in low-acid foods commercialized in reduced oxygen packaging.”
Death Wish Coffee Co. has halted production of its Nitro Cold Brew drinks as it adjusts its manufacturing process. Officials noted that, despite the concerns, “the company has passed all FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and state inspections since its founding.”
Any customers who have cans of Death Wish Nitro Cold Brew are asked to dispose of the drink or return it for a full refund.
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