The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has assigned its second-highest risk ranking to a cold brew sold in New York and New Jersey.
The recall and classification are applicable to 1,219 units of 2.5-gallon bag-in-box containers of the liquid that was distributed between April 1 and June 20.
Since the product was initially withdrawn on July 2, the FDA assigned the brew its second-highest Class II risk warning.
Brooklyn Roasting Works company leaders did not respond to requests for comment by the time of publication.
A Class II event is described by the FDA as a situation whereby exposure to the product "may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences" while a Class I event, in contrast, is the FDA’s highest-level risk alert, and is described as "a situation in which there is a reasonable probability that the use of or exposure to a violative product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death."
Meanwhile, a Class III event involves products that violate regulations but are unlikely to cause health problems, such as minor labeling errors.
The recall is based on an administrative FDA Low-Acid Canned Food requirement for a scheduled process filing that had not yet been submitted, according to Brooklyn Roasting Works company leaders, and not on the discovery of any toxin.
"The bacteria can survive and produce toxin in foods that are not properly canned, smoked, or fermented," CDC officials said. "This is especially true for low-acid foods like vegetables, meats, and seafood."
Public health experts note that prompt treatment with antitoxins is critical for foodborne botulism, and consumers holding the affected cold brew should discard it immediately.