A recall on an alternative milk brand sold in Woolworths stores around the country and linked to a botulism case this week has been expanded, with two oat milk lines and an almond milk pulled from shelves.

Customers have been urged to dispose of the product or return it to the store for a full refund over fears of potential biotoxin contamination.

The one-litre bottles of JS Health x Inside Out’s Unsweetened Almond Milk Collagen + Calcium + Prebiotics, Unsweetened Oat Milk Collagen + Calcium + Prebiotics and Barista Oat Milk Collagen + Calcium + Prebiotics with use by dates up to and including May 18 are affected.

A recall notice issued by Food Standards Australia said the product was not correctly labelled with storage instructions, which posed a hazard of potential contamination and illness to consumers.

“Product is not labelled with directions to ‘keep refrigerated’,” the notice read.

“Failure to refrigerate this product may lead to microbial growth and biotoxin contamination which may cause illness/injury if consumed.”
The new recall comes just days after NSW Health issued an alert that a case of botulism had been linked to the brand’s almond milk.

Botulism is a rare but deadly illness caused by toxins that attack the nerves in the body.

Investigations by NSW Health found traces of botulinum toxin in a sample of the milk.

“The NSW Food Authority is investigating the manufacturing of the product to determine the possible cause of the contamination,” a statement from NSW Health released earlier in the week said.

NSW Health is calling on people to check the products in their fridge and cupboard.

The botulism-related recall for the brand applies only to products sold in NSW stores, with the expiry date of 01 March 2023.

“While foodborne botulism is very rare in Australia, the toxin can be extremely dangerous and can cause life-threatening illnesses,” NSW Health One Health branch Director Keira Glasgow said.

Early symptoms can take hours or days to appear and include weakness, fatigue and vertigo.

They are usually followed by blurred vision, dry mouth and difficulty swallowing.

Nausea and vomiting may also occur.

“These symptoms can progress to paralysis of the arm muscles and continue down the body to the trunk and legs, and paralysis of breathing muscles can be fatal,” Ms Glasgow said.

“We are urging anyone who has consumed this product and experiences these serious symptoms to seek immediate medical attention by visiting their nearest emergency department or calling triple-0 (000) for emergency assistance.”

Most cases of foodborne botulism recover if diagnosed and treated early.

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