Claudia Byatt
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URGENT RECALL: Popular almond milk brand linked to severe illness

A popular brand of almond milk is being urgently recalled from stores around New South Wales after the product was linked to a case of botulism.

Inside Out almond milk, which is stocked at Woolworths, is being removed from the shelves over fears that bottles may contain botulinum, a neurotoxin that can cause disease.

NSW Health has confirmed one case of botulism, a rare but fatal illness caused by toxins attacking the body’s nerves, has been linked to the product.

The person suffered “severe symptoms” and was admitted to the hospital.

The director of NSW Health’s One Health branch said the illness can be fatal.

"Early symptoms of foodborne botulism include weakness, fatigue and vertigo," Glasgow said.

"While these symptoms occur commonly due to a number of health conditions, with botulism it is 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." She added.

"We are urging anyone who has consumed this product and experiences these serious symptoms to seek immediate medical attention.”

Glasgow warned that “most cases” can recover if treated early.

"In foodborne botulism, symptoms may begin from a few hours to several days after consuming the contaminated product," she said.

Any affected products have a used-by-date of March 1, 2023.

The warning comes just a day after a basketball ring set that was sold at leading sports stores across Australia for over two years was also recalled.

In late January, Hyundai had to recall thousands of cars to fix a software glitch interfering with the “fail-safe” driving mode, a fault capable of causing a crash.

Image credit: Getty

Tags:
Woolworths, Urgent recall, Almond milk