It's that time of year when it seems as though every food manufacturer, brewery, and coffee shop are offering products made with pumpkin or pumpkin spice.
Well, we have some cautionary news for you if you've recently been to Williams-Sonoma and purchased a jar of their store-brand Pumpkin Seed Pesto. The product, pictured below, is made for the gourmet food, furnishings and cookware chain by California Olive and Vine LLC of Sutter, California.
The FDA reported on October 10 that the company was issuing a voluntary recall of the product due to "irregular lab results," indicating that some jars were improperly processed, creating conditions whereby the product could be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum, a bacterium whose toxin causes botulism.
However, no contamination has been observed and no illnesses have been reported.
The product, manufactured for the chain by California Olive and Vine LLC of Sutter, California, is... [+]
The product, available in 8-ounce (227 g) jars, has only been marketed by the chain since September 2014. The SKU numbers 6404305, 6389043 are the specific products targeted for the recall. Consumers are urged not to use the product even if it looks and smells fine.
According to the FDA reprint of the company product recall notice, customers are directed to discard the product or return it to the place of purchase for a refund. Consumers are directed to contact the company at (530) 822-7996 or the California Department of Public Health.
Symptoms of botulism include: general weakness, dizziness, double vision and trouble with speaking or swallowing. Difficulty in breathing, weakness of other muscles, abdominal distention and constipation may also be common symptoms. People experiencing these problems should seek immediate medical attention.
A customer service representative at Williams-Sonoma told us earlier this morning that she was not aware of the recall and directed us to the company's corporate offices in San Francisco, but they were not open at the time of this post. Currently, the Safety Recalls section of the Williams-Sonoma website contains no information on the product recall, but the product is no longer available for internet ordering. When the company provides details for consumer returns, this post will be updated with that information.
To be clear, this recall pertains only to the Pumpkin Seed Pesto product and NOT the pumpkin seed oil, pumpkin parmesan pasta sauce, pumpkin bisque soup starter, pumpkin braising base, pumpkin carmel sauce, or the $75 pumpkin cheesecake.
