Daily Harvest Issues Widespread Recall as Reports of Gastrointestinal Emergencies Surface

Vegan meal delivery service Daily Harvest has recalled its French Lentil and Leek Crumbles following widespread complaints of illnesses and hospitalizations among customers.

Reports have flooded social media recounting symptoms of nausea, vomiting, and liver damage after consumption; one social media user described symptoms that included “extreme fatigue, dark urine, low-grade fever, and whole-body itching with no rash.”¹

According to a statement posted on the company’s Instagram account,² Daily Harvest has launched an investigation and as “working closely with the FDA and with multiple independent labs,” as well as microbiologists, toxin and pathogen experts, and allergists, to determine the root cause of the issue.

A range of gastrointestinal emergencies have been reported, including “extreme liver pain”³ and gallbladder issues.⁴ A post shared on Reddit⁵ on June 15 now has over 800 responses, many from customers detailing their own experiences, which included emergency room visits, endoscopies, CT scans, referrals to gastrointestinal specialists, and gallbladder removal surgery.

In late 2021, the FDA announced a plan to address potential food safety risks associated with meal delivery services.⁶ The agency is currently reviewing information and data collected through public comments to determine the key regulatory issues at hand.⁷

References

1. Archie A. Daily Harvest recalls lentil dish after customers report food poisioning online. NPR. Published June 22, 2022. Accessed June 23, 2022. https://www.npr.org/2022/06/22/1106650999/daily-harvest-lentils-leek-food-poisoning-recall-instagram-statement
2. @dailyharvest. An update on our voluntary recall of French Lentil + Leek Crumbles. Instagram. June 22, 2022. Accessed June 23, 2022. https://www.instagram.com/p/CfH2nqKrReT/
3. Tenbarge K. Daily Harvest meal delivery service recalls lentil crumbles after customers report gastrointestinal emergencies. NBC News. Published June 19, 2022. Accessed June 23, 2022. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/daily-harvest-meal-delivery-service-recalls-lentil-crumbles-customers-rcna34328
4. Makalintal B. Daily Harvest pulls French lentil and leek crumbles following reports of serious illness. Published June 21, 2022. Accessed June 23, 2022. https://www.eater.com/2022/6/21/23177412/daily-harvest-recalls-french-lentil-and-leek-crumbles-following-illness-allegations
5. u/hann2466. Extreme stomach pain/sickness from lentil+leek crumbles. Reddit. Published June 15, 2022. Updated June 20, 2022. Accessed June 23, 2022. https://www.reddit.com/r/DailyHarvest/comments/vcqwxe/extreme_stomach_painsickness_from_lentilleek/
6. FDA in brief: As consumers order more meals and groceries online FDA plans public meeting to address food safety risks. News release. FDA. September 9, 2021. Accessed June 23, 2022. https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-brief-consumers-order-more-meals-and-groceries-online-fda-plans-public-meeting-address-food
7. Yiannas F, Keller A. FDA works to strengthen food safety protections as consumers increasingly order foods online. FDA. Published November 9, 2021. Accessed June 23, 2022. https://www.fda.gov/news-events/fda-voices/fda-works-strengthen-food-safety-protections-consumers-increasingly-order-foods-online