Voluntary recall for bottled water sold at several area stores due to E. coli concerns
(Photo: Steven Depolo, Flickr Creative Commons)
A water bottling company has issued a voluntary recall due to concerns that one of its spring sources is contaminated with E. coli.
Niagara Bottling, LLC, which supplies bottled water to numerous retailers at the Jersey Shore, said in a release that the bacteria was found in one of its spring sources on June 10, 2015.
“These bacteria can make you sick, and are a particular concern for people with weakened immune systems,” the release said. “We have not received any complaints of injury or illness of any kind. As the spring source did not notify us in a timely manner, we have discontinued the use of this source.”
The bottled water is sold under the following brand names: Acadia, Best Yet, Nature’s Place, Shaws, Acme, 7-11, Pricerite, Shoprite, Big Y, Niagara, Superchill, Western Beef Blue, Morning Fresh, Wegman’s.
“Out of an abundance of caution and in the strict interest of public safety,” the release said, “Niagara Bottling, LLC is issuing a voluntary recall for all spring water products produced at the Hamburg, PA and Allentown, PA facilities from the time frame of 3 a.m. (EDT) June 10th to 8 p.m. (EDT) June 18, 2015.”
It continues:
To determine if your product is affected, please reference the following information on the code, which can be found on the bottle. The code will indicate the place, date and time that the product was produced. The only affected products have codes that begin with the letter F (for Hamburg) or A (for Allentown). The first digit after the letter indicates the number of the production line. The next two numbers indicate the day, then the month in letters, the year, and then the time, based on a 24-hour clock.
The company offered the following information about the water and E. coli:
DO NOT DRINK THE AFFECTED WATER WITHOUT BOILING IT FIRST OR USE OTHER BOTTLED WATER. Bring all affected water to a boil, let it boil for one minute, and let it cool before using, or use other bottled water. Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms in the water.
E. coli are bacteria whose presence indicates that the water may be contaminated with human or animal wastes. Microbes in these wastes can cause diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches, or other symptoms. They may pose a special health risk for infants, young children, some of the elderly and people with severely compromised immune systems.
The symptoms above are not caused only by organisms in drinking water. If you experience any of these symptoms and they persist, you may want to seek medical advice. People at increased risk should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers.
Consumers can contact the company’s customer service department at (877) 487-7873.
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