Plant-based meal delivery service Daily Harvest issued a public recall of its French Lentil and Leek Crumbles product on June 22nd after dozens of customers reported that they fell ill after consuming it, The Wall Street Journal reports. Some people have reported undergoing surgery to remove their gallbladders after eating the product, the report said. In some instances, consumers said their doctors were unable to determine why their patients were experiencing liver damage, abdominal pain, fevers, and more.
Daily Harvest said in a blog post that all pathogen and toxicology results have come back negative so far, but that it will continue to conduct testing. The company says it’s in touch with customers who reported adverse reactions and is collecting data to further the investigation.
“We launched an investigation to identify the root cause of the health issues being reported,” the company said in the blog post. “We’re working closely with the FDA and with multiple independent labs to investigate this. We are working with a group of experts to help us get to the bottom of this—that includes microbiologists, toxin and pathogen experts as well as allergists.”
The Wall Street Journal reports that the FDA declined to confirm whether it’s investigating the product.
The New York-based company had asked customers last week to dispose of the French Lentil and Leek Crumbles product after a “small number” of people reported gastrointestinal discomfort. Daily Harvest offered a $10 credit to people who purchased the product, which launched in April.
Daily Harvest launched in 2015 and said it was valued at more $1 billion following its Series D funding last November. The company has been backed by a number of celebrities, including Bobby Flay, Gwyneth Paltrow, Serena Williams and more. Daily Harvest often enlists influencers to try out their products, some of which have now documented their illnesses on Instagram and TikTok.
Daily Harvest has not responded to TechCrunch’s request for comment.
