Popular apple juice is urgently recalled from Aldi supermarkets due to fears it may be contaminated with a white powder
- Aldi has recalled its Pick’d Cloudy Apple Juice over fears it is contaminated
- It is possible that the mycotoxin patulin has found its way into the popular juice
- Patulin can cause cause nausea, gastrointestinal disturbances and vomiting
- Only bottles of Pick’d Apple Juice with certain use by dates are affected
Aldi has recalled its popular Pick’d Cloudy Apple Juice over fears it may be contaminated with an illness-causing white powder.
Stores in WA, SA, VIC, ACT and NSW were all selling affected bottles of Pick’d Apple Juice prior to it being recalled by Food Standards Australia on Friday.
It is feared that the juice has been contaminated with a white powder called patulin, which is a mycotoxin commonly found in rotting apples.
If consumed, patulin can cause nausea, gastrointestinal disturbances and vomiting, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Aldi recalled certain bottles of its Pick’d Apple Juice (pictured) from stores in WA, SA, VIC, ACT and NSW on Friday over fears they were contaminated with the mycotoxin patulin
Customers who bought affected bottles of Pick’d Apple Juice are advised not to drink it and can return the item to an Aldi supermarket (pictured) for a full refund
Customers who bought Pick’d Apple Juice with certain use by dates are advised not to drink it and can return the item for a full refund.
The use by dates affected are: 22/05/2020, 29/05/2020, 17/06/2020, 7/07/2020, 15/07/2020, 27/07/2020, 30/07/2020, 7/08/2020 and 11/08/2020.
All other use by dates available for sale are not affected and safe to consume, according to Food Standards Australia.
Any consumers concerned about their health should seek medical advice.
An Aldi spokeswoman said: ‘ALDI takes product quality and safety seriously.
‘The recall is due to microbial contamination… Any consumers concerned about their health should seek medical advice. We apologise for any inconvenience.’
Patulin is a white powder that is produced by moulds and commonly found in rotting apples.
Studies have found consumption of the fungus can cause may cause severe damage to vital organs like the liver and kidney.
Patulin is commonly found in apple products such as juice, cider and jam and is harmless in small quantities – but larger doses can cause illness.
The amount of patulin in an apple can also be used to measure the quality of the fruit. This means that if an apple has more patulin, it is of lower quality.
The mycotoxin has also been detected in other fruits such as cherries, blueberries, plums, bananas, strawberries, and grapes.
Rotting apples often contain the mycotoxin patulin. The toxic chemical is created by mould growth and can often find its way into juices, ciders and jams
This is the second time mycotoxin patulin has been detected in a popular juice brand in under a week.
The Pure Tassie – Organic Pure Apple Juice range was recalled from Coles, IGA, Woolworths and independent stores in NSW, QLD, VIC, TAS, SA and WA on Sunday.
Parent company Juicy Isle took to its social media pages to share a statement regarding the product recalls.
‘We will vastly expand our investigation and testing regime to provide certainty to our customers that Pure Tassie juice does not have elevated levels of patulin,’ Juicy Isle CEO Paul Mealor said.
In late April, Pure Tassie also recalled its Apple and Blackcurrant 1.5L bottles with an expiration of October 6, 2020.
The popular Pure Tassie juice range (pictured) were recalled over fears the products have been contaminated by patulin on Sunday