Snapchill LLC of Wisconsin has recalled 288 coffee products due to a risk of potentially deadly bacteria that cause botulism – a sometimes fatal food poisoning.
No illnesses have been reported but Snapchill are taking no chances. Their production process creates a low-acid environment in the coffee cans which can encourage the growth of the toxin botulinum.
Snapchill’s Patented Process
Snapchill boasts a unique process for creating ready-to-drink canned coffee.
According to Snapchill’s website, the coffee is hot brewed, then instantly chilled and sealed using a patented process which locks in the flavours. They produce the chilled coffee for third party roasters and it is then returned to the roasters for sale.
Problem identified by FDA
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) notified Snapchill that their low-acid food canning process wasn’t filed with the FDA.
Low-acid food canning processes are required by law to be filed with FDA. According to the FDA’s website, an acidified food is one which is low-acid and then has acid added to it, with a finishing pH of 4.6 or below.
What is Botulism?
Botulism is caused by botulinum toxin which is a neurotoxin that attacks the body’s nerves.
Botulinum toxin is a deadly toxin. It is produced by a group of bacteria called clostridium botulinum. It is heat resistant and can survive in adverse conditions.
Symptoms of Botulism
Symptoms of botulism can appear within six hours to two weeks after consumption.
Symptoms include, double or blurred vision, difficulty swallowing or breathing, vomiting and abdominal cramps, muscle weakness and constipation. It is a medical emergency and immediate treatment is needed for it.
If you have a Recalled Product
If you have a recalled product, do not consume it.
Snapchill products will have ‘Produced and Distributed by Snapchill LLC’ beneath the nutrition information. All recalled products should either be destroyed or returned to the seller for a refund.
What Snapchill Says
Snapchill have released a statement about the recall.
According to the statement sent to Fast Company , no illnesses have been reported and this recall is a precautionary measure to cooperate with the FDA and to ensure the safety of Snapchill’s customers.
Snapchill Working with FDA
Snapchill is working with the FDA to re-start production within safe standards.
To re-start production, Snapchill will have to file the necessary documents with the FDA, something that it is already working on. It will also need to ensure that its processes produce coffee that is safe for consumption.
Snapchill launched in 2019
Snapchill’s founder is a thermal engineer and MIT graduate called David Dussault.
It took Dussault months of trial and error to find the perfect chilled coffee brew, but he managed it and the company launched in 2019 and met with great success.
Snapchill’s New Facility
Snapchill’s Wisconsin facility was opened just last year.
The Wisconsin facility was needed because production suddenly soared and Snapchill need to produce more cans fast. The new facility can produce up to 25 million cans a year if necessary. With that investment, they will want to be up and running again as soon as possible.
