All News / /

FDA Issues Nationwide Health Alert on Orchid Island Unpasteurized Orange Juice Products

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is issuing a nationwide warning to consumers against drinking unpasteurized orange juice products distributed under a variety of brand names by Orchid Island Juice Company of Fort Pierce, Florida, because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella Typhimurium and have been associated with an outbreak of human disease caused by this organism.

Salmonella Typhimurium is a germ that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Otherwise healthy individuals may suffer short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea. Long- term complications can include severe arthritis.

To date there have been reports of 15 cases of a matching strain of illness directly linked to a history of consumption of Orchid Island Juice from mid-May to June in Michigan, Ohio and Massachusetts. In addition, at least 16 other states have reported cases of Salmonella Typhimurium infection that match this specific strain. Further investigations are underway to determine if these infections are also related to these products or not.

"FDA is working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and our state partners to identify the source of the problem and its scope," said Dr. Robert Brackett, Director of the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. "It is important to note, however, that the vast majority of orange juice sold in stores is pasteurized and safe to drink."

The unpasteurized product comes in a variety of containers distributed to retail stores and restaurants under various brand names. The products are identified on the labels as freshly squeezed or fresh orange juice. The following labels are involved: Nino Salvaggio's, Westborn Market, and Natalie's Orchid Island Juice. Orchid Island Juice bottles products under other brand names that have not yet been provided to FDA by the company.

These products do not bear a warning label that the juice is unpasteurized. Such warning labels do appear on many unpasteurized juice products, so consumers should not assume these products are safe to consume simply because they do not bear the "unpasteurized" warning label.

Individuals who believe they have become ill as a result of drinking this unpasteurized juice should consult their health care provider and contact their local health department.

Get Help

Affected by an outbreak or recall?

The team at Marler Clark is here to answer all your questions. Find out if you’re eligible for a lawsuit, what questions to ask your doctor, and more.

Get a free consultation
Related Resources
E. coli

...

E. coli Food Poisoning

What is E. coli and how does it cause food poisoning? Escherichia coli (E. coli) is a highly studied, common species of bacteria that belongs to the family Enterobacteriaceae, so...

E. coli O157:H7

E. coli O157:H7 is a foodborne pathogen that causes food poisoning. E. coli O157:H7 is the most commonly identified and the most notorious Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) serotype in...

Non-O157 STEC

Non-O157 Shiga Toxin-Producing E. coli can also cause food poisoning. E. coli O157:H7 may be the most notorious serotype of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), but there are at least...

Sources of E. coli

Where do E. coli O157:H7 and non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) come from? The primary reservoirs, or ultimate sources, of E. coli O157:H7 and non-O157 STEC in nature are...

Outbreak Database

Looking for a comprehensive list of outbreaks?

The team at Marler Clark is here to answer all your questions. Find out if you’re eligible for a lawsuit, what questions to ask your doctor, and more.

View Outbreak Database