Californians planning their Memorial Day barbecues should be on the lookout for a range of cookout must-haves — from ice cream to chips — that officials say may be contaminated and should not be eaten.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration within the last week announced voluntary recalls and warnings for products sold in California.
The first covers a range of ice creams sold in supermarkets from California-based Straus Family Creamery. The company says some of its products sold this month may contain metal fragments.
The second recall covers a seasoning blend from Blackstone Products. A California-based dairy company that provided an ingredient in the seasoning recalled the product due to possible salmonella contamination.
Additionally, health officials in the state are warning consumers not to eat certain snack products from the Brad’s Plant Based brand because the company's chips have been found to contain elevated levels of a toxic metal that can cause serious illness.
"The manufacturer was asked to voluntarily recall the products and, to date, has refused to remove these products from the marketplace," the California Department of Public Health.
State health officials, however, provided detailed information about the products they say consumers should avoid eating in order to avoid possible illness. Read more here.
State health officials also warned consumers not to eat certain Brad's Plant Based snack products after testing found elevated levels of a toxic metal linked to serious health problems.
The California Department of Public Health identified the affected items as several varieties of Brad's Plant Based Crunchy Kale, Salad Snack and Veggie Chips products sold at major retailers in Southern California and other regions.
According to both departments, the products are distributed by Snack Right Super Foods Inc. and Brad's Raw Chips LLC.
Health officials advised consumers to avoid all Brad's brand kale products because elevated thallium levels were detected in several tested lots.
"Although uncommon, very high levels of thallium in foods may result in hair loss, numbness and pain in the feet and hands, gastrointestinal effects, and heart problems," the state health department said in a statement.
The products identified by the state include Brad's Crunchy Kale Original, Vampire Killer, Cheeze It Up, Nacho and Radical Ranch varieties, along with Brad's Balsamic and Ranch Salad Snacks and Brad's Veggie Chips Kale.
CDPH officials said the investigation began after a January inquiry involving a person with elevated thallium levels who reported consuming Brad's kale products.
The department said laboratory testing later confirmed concerning thallium levels in samples collected from retail stores in the Sacramento area.
According to CDPH, the manufacturer was asked to voluntarily recall the products but has not removed them from the marketplace.
The manufacturer did not respond to a request for comment.
Los Angeles County health officials urged consumers not to eat the products and advised retailers to immediately remove them from store shelves and discontinue sales.
The California Department of Public Health said it was working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Pennsylvania officials because the products are distributed from Pennsylvania and contain ingredients labeled as products of Mexico.
City News Service contributed to this report.
Sign up for free local newsletters and alerts for the
Los Angeles, CA Patch
Patch.com is the nationwide leader in hyperlocal news.
Visit Patch.com to find your town today.