Recall -- Firm Press Release

FDA posts press releases and other notices of recalls and market withdrawals from the firms involved as a service to consumers, the media, and other interested parties. FDA does not endorse either the product or the company.

Contact: Consumer: 512-477-5566 ext. 20060

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 7, 2014 Marin Foods Specialties, Inc. of Byron, CA is voluntarily recalling Organic Raw Almonds (bitter almonds), due to them possibly containing elevated levels of naturally occurring hydrogen cyanide according to laboratory test results. To date, no human illnesses have been associated with these products and they have been pulled from sale.

Bitter almonds are the wild form of the edible sweet almonds. Bitter almonds contain a chemical called glycoside amygdalin, which becomes transformed into toxic prussic acid (hydrogen cyanide) after they are crushed or chewed. Eating foods that contain prussic acid may result in some or all of the following signs and clinical symptoms within minutes: dizziness, headache, nausea and vomiting, rapid breathing, rapid heart rate, restlessness, and weakness. Exposure to higher quantities of food containing prussic acid may cause other more serious health effects including convulsions, loss of consciousness, low blood pressure, lung injury, slow heart rate, and respiratory failure leading to death. Showing these signs and symptoms does not necessarily mean that a person has been exposed to cyanide. Treatment with supportive measures and available specific and efficacious antidotes frequently allows survival.

The products were labeled as Whole Foods Market Organic Raw Almonds Imported from Italy and Whole Foods Market Organic Raw Almonds Imported from Spain, and were packaged in 13.5 oz. plastic tubs. The recalled products have sell-by dates from 4/18/15 to 6/7/15 and a UPC code of UPC 9-99482-00071-7. The recalled product was distributed to Whole Foods Market stores only in Northern California, Oregon, Washington, Reno, Nevada and Boise, Idaho including:

Northern California:

Oregon:

Washington:

Reno, NV:

Boise, ID:

Customers who purchased the products at issue in the voluntary recall should discard the products and return to the store with their receipt for a full refund. Please contact 512-477-5566 ext. 20060 with any questions between the hours of 9 am and 5 pm Central Standard Time, Monday through Friday.

###

RSS Feed for FDA Recalls Information [what's this?]

Photo: Product Labels

Recalled Product Photos Are Also Available on FDA's Flickr Photostream.