Date issued: 17 Dec 2022 – update to Alert issued 16 December 2022
Issued by: Dr Danny Csutoros, Acting Deputy Chief Health Officer (Environment)
Issued to: Health professionals and Victorian community
Key messages
- After a number of reported cases of food-related toxic reactions, people are advised not to consume certain products containing baby spinach.
- The products are not safe to consume and should be discarded into the rubbish bin or returned to place of purchase for a full refund.
- National food recalls are currently underway to remove affected products identified to date.
- See Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) for the brands and batch numbers currently affected and monitor this website closely for ongoing updates.
- Initial investigations suggest potential contamination of affected baby spinach with unsafe plant material.
- Affected persons have developed unusual and severe symptoms including, nausea and vomiting, dry mouth, blurred vision, dilated pupils, rapid heartbeat, difficulty passing urine, hallucinations and confusion.
- Anyone concerned about exposure to this spinach product should contact Victorian Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26, and those with severe symptoms should call triple zero (000).
- The Victorian Department of Health is working closely with other jurisdictions to investigate and resolve this issue.
- Read the full Alert: Health alert for toxic reaction linked to spinach product
