NBC News
The FDA said that 96 hospitalizations and 277 illnesses have been reported by people who ate the company’s frozen French Lentil & Leek Crumbles.
Nearly 100 people have been hospitalized and hundreds became ill after consuming a lentil-based product from Daily Harvest, the Food and Drug Administration said, citing complaint reports, as more lawsuits have been filed against the popular vegan food company, including one on behalf of an infant who was breastfeeding. As of Thursday, 96 hospitalizations and 277 illness events around the country had been reported to the FDA, the agency said on its website. The FDA is investigating complaints of “gastrointestinal illness and abnormal liver function” related to Daily Harvest’s “French Lentil & Leek Crumbles” frozen product. The FDA said the last report of someone becoming ill was July 9. Daily Harvest initiated a voluntary recall of the product last month after customers began to complain of becoming sick. Some reported elevated liver enzymes, hospitalizations as well as gallbladder removal. The company said this week that it is committed to finding answers and is doing comprehensive testing to rule out potential causes, but that “thorough scientific processes require extensive laboratory analysis.” Two lawsuits were filed against the company and the product’s manufacturer this week on behalf of two children, including a 4-month-old, who were said to have gotten sick from the product. The baby and her mother became ill and were hospitalized after the mother ate the lentil-based product at the end of May and beginning of June, according to a lawsuit filed in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York. Beginning May 25, the infant experienced vomiting, diarrhea, screaming and dark urine after her mother consumed the product and breastfed her, the lawsuit said. After consuming the product again in June, the baby’s mother was hospitalized with extreme abdominal pain and gastrointestinal distress from June 8 to 15, the suit said.
