By Daniella
Silva
Food delivery company Daily Harvest announced Tuesday that it has identified tara seed flour as the ingredient that caused hundreds of its customers to fall ill.
Some of these people reported liver dysfunction and had to have their gallbladder removed after eating a lentil-based product from the popular vegan food company.
As of July 14, there had been 96 hospitalizations and 277 reported illnesses nationwide related to Daily Harvest's French Lentil & Leek Crumbles, the Food and Drug Administration reported last week. in English), citing complaint reports.
The FDA has been investigating complaints of "gastrointestinal illness and abnormal liver function" related to Daily Harvest's frozen product.
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"At this time, we have identified tara flour as the cause of the problem," Daily Harvest explained in a statement on its website Tuesday afternoon.
“We have only used this ingredient in the French Lentils + Shredded Leeks and we no longer source from this producer who does not provide any ingredients for our 140+ items.”
Tara flour is obtained from the seed of the tara tree.
"This was the first and only time we've used tara flour, which has been available and used in the North American market as a plant-based protein source before we used it," explained Daily Harvest.
"Our investigation team will continue to work with the FDA, the tara flour producer and other stakeholders to determine what caused people to get sick," they added.
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Daily Harvest initiated a voluntary recall of the product last month after customers began complaining that they had fallen ill.
Some reported elevated liver enzymes and hospitalizations, as well as gallbladder removal.
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The company is also facing several lawsuits from people who say they have become ill after consuming the product.
Two of the lawsuits were filed against the company and the manufacturer of the product on behalf of two children, one a 4-month-old who was being breastfed.
Bill Marler, an attorney representing the families, said he was "not surprised" by Daily Harvest's announcement, saying he told the company's attorney that tara flour was the likely culprit, given that the lentil dish it was the only article that contained it.
Daily Harvest has recalled its French leek and lentil crumbles after customers reported gastrointestinal issues.NBC News
Marler said he has more than 250 clients regarding Daily Harvest complaints with possible claims against the company.
It is still unknown what in the tara flour is causing people to get sick, according to Marler.
Neither Daily Harvest, nor the FDA, nor their laboratory had yet confirmed whether tara flour contains a toxin or chemical, for example, that is making people sick.
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“So there is still work to be done,” he clarified.
Daily Harvest did not immediately respond to Tuesday's request for comment.
The company previously announced that its tests had ruled out common foodborne pathogens, major allergens, pesticides, hepatitis A, norovirus, and a number of mycotoxins, including aflatoxins.
Aflatoxins are a type of toxin produced by a fungus that can grow on grains and seeds.
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The company said in a previous statement to our sister network, NBC News, that it does not comment on pending or potential litigation.
However, Daily Harvest stressed that it initiated the recall as soon as it received reports of customer illnesses, is working with the FDA to investigate, and contacted customers who purchased the lentil product on multiple occasions.
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The FDA did not immediately respond to Tuesday's request for comment.
Daily Harvest first issued a statement informing customers of the illness reports on June 19.
The company published a voluntary recall notice through the FDA on June 23.
