WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 (UPI) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued warned consumers to keep carrot juice refrigerated following reports of botulism linked to the beverage.
The advisory follows an investigation by the FDA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Georgia health officials into three cases of botulism associated with pasteurized carrot juice that investigators suspect was not properly refrigerated.
"Because botulism is such a potentially serious illness, we want to remind consumers that it is critical to refrigerate carrot juice for safety. Consumers should not keep carrot juice unrefrigerated," said Robert Brackett, director of the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. He said botulinum spores are allowed to multiply to the level where they can cause illness when the juice is not refrigerated.
An average 24 causes of food borne botulinum are reported in the United States every year. The disease, a paralytic illness considered to be a medical emergency, can be fatal.
