Plant-based butter recalled over yeast, mold and E.coli concerns receives FDA risk classification
Stock image of sliced butter (Getty Images stock photo)
A plant-based butter that was recently recalled has received a risk classification from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
More than 1,300 cases of Miyoko’s Creamery European Style Salted Plant Milk Butter had been recalled due to concerns over yeast, mold and E. coli, according to an FDA report.
The FDA on Friday classified the recall as a Class II risk level, assigned when use of or exposure to a product “may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or where the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote.”
The voluntary recall, which was initiated on Sept. 11, affected 10 states including Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, New Jersey, New Hampshire and Wisconsin, according to the FDA report.
It’s unclear if anyone fell ill after consuming the affected product. The recall notice did not provide information on returning the product to the place of purchase for a possible refund, nor was such information available on the Miyokos website.
Prosperity Organic Foods, based in Boise, Idaho, which acquired Miyoko’s Creamery last year, did not immediately return an ABC News request for comment.
Miyoko’s recalled product is sold in eight-ounce packages with a Universal Product Code (UPC) of 857554005773, while secondary packaging sells the eight-ounce units in a six-pack, according to the FDA report.
“Product is perishable and stored refrigerated/frozen,” the FDA report states. “The Product is initially packaged in wax paper wrapping and into a [solid bleached sulfate] carton. Secondary packaging is the corrugated case for shipment.”
The report says the affected product’s SBS carton packaging has a lot number of 07871 and a best-by date of Nov. 5, 2026. On the secondary packaging, there is a lot number of 1007871 and a best-by date of Nov. 5, 2026.
(NEW YORK) — Kenya’s Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has halted construction of the U.S.-backed Ebola quarantine facility at Laikipia Air Base after being found in contempt of court for allowing work to continue despite a court order.
Duale appeared before the High Court in Nairobi on Tuesday and said he directed “the immediate and complete cessation of any intended construction, site preparations or related activities” concerning the facilitly.
“It was never the intention of the ministry or myself as the Cabinet Secretary to disregard, undermine, or act in defiance of the orders,” he said.
Duale also told the court he would be “the last person to disregard a court order” and “the last person to violate any constitutional order given by any court.”
The court accepted Duale’s apology and discharged him with a warning, saying that he would face sentencing if there was any indication he disobeyed its orders again. The injunction stopping construction was extended until a hearing on July 23.
“Today was an important moment for justice in Kenya,” Nora Mbagathi, executive director of Kenya’s Katiba Institute, an organization formed to support the country’s constitution that challenged the U.S. plan, told ABC News in a WhatsApp message.
“By appearing in court and confirming that construction of the quarantine facility has been halted, Duale has affirmed the government’s recognition that they are not above the Constitution,” the message continued. “His apology to the Court and the people of Kenya is an important moment not just for our courts but for our democracy and rule of law.”
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Jalapeño peppers on display at a local street market in San Antonio, Texas. (Getty Images/Gabriel Perez)
(NEW YORK) — Health officials are expanding an investigation into jalapenos served at Chipotle restaurants to include Qdoba restaurants. The Food and Drug Administration said the jalapenos may be a possible source of a growing salmonella outbreak that has infected 345 people across 27 states.
Both restaurants have removed the jalapenos from their stores, the FDA said.
Qdoba said in a statement to ABC News that it is “cooperating with public health authorities” in the investigation and have pulled jalapenos from their restaurants.
“Out of an abundance of caution, we have proactively removed jalapenos from all our restaurants at this time,” the restaurant chain said. “We take any report involving guest health seriously and are committed to responding appropriately based on the facts and guidance from public health authorities.”
“Food safety is our highest priority,” Qdoba added. “We maintain rigorous food safety standards and work closely with our suppliers, distribution partners, and restaurant teams to help ensure the safety and quality of the food we serve.”
Chipotle previously told ABC News they had removed jalapenos from affected restaurants in multiple states as well.
“We have a robust ingredient traceability system and, upon learning of a potential Salmonella outbreak in the supply chain impacting several food service retailers, we proactively identified jalapenos as a potential common ingredient from a common lot, removed them from the restaurants where they had been distributed, and replaced them with product from different growers,” Laurie Schalow, Chipotle’s chief corporate affairs and food safety officer, said in a statement.
The FDA identified through a traceback investigation that both Chipotle and Qdoba received food ingredients that were grown in Mexico and imported by Coast Citrus Distributors from Sinaloa. Coast Citrus Distributors has since agreed to recall jalapeno product from the market, per the FDA.
Salmonella are bacteria that can cause a common foodborne illness called salmonellosis, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Infections tend to occur more in the summer, when warmer weather presents ideal conditions for the bacteria to grow, the agency states.
Symptoms of a salmonella infection may include watery diarrhea, stomach cramps, headache, nausea, vomiting, and a loss of appetite, according to the CDC. Symptoms can start anywhere from six hours to six days after infection and can last from four to seven days, the agency says.
According to the CDC, the highest number of reported salmonella cases are currently located in Minnesota and Colorado, with at least 110 cases in each state so far. Overall, there have been zero deaths reported but 36 have been hospitalized, the CDC said.
The Minnesota Department of Health previously told ABC News the agency expects the number of salmonella cases to potentially increase in the coming days, noting that “it takes us a while to detect cases in surveillance.”
“Our investigations often start with speaking to persons diagnosed with a foodborne illness that were reported to the health department as part of our surveillance,” the department said. “We’d like to ask the public to please answer our calls. The information they provide is critical to solving outbreaks quickly.”
The FDA said it does not consider there to be an ongoing risk from eating at Qdoba or Chipotle restaurants.
Each year, the CDC estimates the U.S. sees about 1.35 million salmonella infections.
ABC News has reached out to GrubMarket, which owns Coast Citrus Distributors for comment.
GLP-1 injection pen and medication vial for subcutaneous use. (Getty Images stock photo)
Dozens of Americans have filed personal injury lawsuits against the makers of popular GLP-1 drugs, like Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro, claiming they were not properly warned of the risk of a rare type of sudden vision loss, called nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, or NAION, when taking the medications.
Researchers have been studying a possible link between GLP-1 drugs and this eye condition in recent years after a possible safety signal was reported from a single health center in Boston in 2024, but so far, no study has proven these drugs are the cause.
Novo Nordisk, the maker of Ozempic and Wegovy, said they take “all reports of adverse events very seriously,” and pushed back against these claims, stating, “Novo believes the personal injury lawsuits filed in the U.S. are without merit and are vigorously defending them,” a spokesperson told ABC News.
Adding, “Novo is committed to patient safety and continuously monitors the safety profile of our GLP-1 RA products. Should emerging safety data warrant further action, appropriate measures will be implemented in accordance with regulatory requirements.”
A spokesperson for Lilly, who manufactures Zepbound and Mounjaro, told ABC News, “Patientsafety is Lilly’s top priority. We actively monitor, evaluate, and report safety information for all our medicines to the FDA. As part of our routine safety review process, we have ongoing discussions with regulators regarding potential safety topics, and we will continue to review data, including any data regarding ophthalmic issues.”
Here’s what GLP-1 users should know about this condition and what the science says.
What is NAION?
Although a rare condition overall, Dr. John Chen, a professor of ophthalmology and neurology at Mayo Clinic, said, “NAION is the most common acute optic neuropathy in patients over the age of 50. It’s essentially a lack of blood flow to the optic nerve, where patients typically have pretty acute onset of painless vision loss.”
That vision loss is usually permanent, and there is no specific treatment for the condition at this time, Chen told ABC News.
Dr. Raj Maturi, clinical spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology and ophthalmologist at Midwest Eye Institute, told ABC News that people with diabetes, regardless of GLP-1 use, can be at increased risk of developing this condition, and other risks include overnight low blood pressure or a very small optic nerve cup.
Vision problems are listed as possible side effects of these medications, but the Food and Drug Administration does not currently require the drug makers to list NAION as a specific risk.
The agency’s Sentinel Initiativedoes say a review is ongoing that aims to scientifically evaluate the possible safety signal related to GLP-1 drugs and NAION that is still in progress.
In a statement provided to ABC News, a spokesperson for the FDA said, “The FDA routinely monitors the safety of drug products postmarketing. The FDA identifies safety signals from a variety of sources, evaluates the available data and takes regulatory actions when appropriate.”
Other countries have required the drug makers to include a warning that there may be a possible increased risk of developing NAION if taking some of these medications based on their review of available evidence, including the European Medicines Agency and Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration, both citing it as a rare possible side effect.
In general, safety signals don’t alwayspan out as true risks for all medications and not every possible side effect is caused directly by the medication itself.
Drugs that are FDA-approved undergo rigorous clinical trials, are heavily scrutinized before reaching the market, and post-marketing safety is continuously monitored.
What does the science say?
“Several studies suggest that there is a potential link between NAION, or eye stroke, and GLP-1 use,” Maturi said. “However it is important to note that causation has not been proven. And the risk does seem to be rare,” Maturi said.
In 2024, researchers at a single health system in Boston published datathat suggested people with type 2 diabetes who were prescribed semaglutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist and the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, may be at increased risk of developing this type of vision loss.
Since then, more research has been done with larger studies that have shown mixed results as to whether a link does exist, and no study to date has proven that these medications cause this eye condition.
“There are significant benefits from the GLP-1’s for severe obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease. That’s proven time and time again with these randomized clinical trials,” Chen said. “We didn’t have to pull the plug on those trials because people were going blind. So again, if there is an association, it’s a very low risk.”
The European Medicines Agencyestimates this eye condition could possibly impact 1 out of every 10,000 GLP-1 users who have diabetes, based on their analysis of available information.
In a joint statement, the North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society and the American Academy of Ophthalmology said, “While many report a small possible increased risk of NAION in patients taking GLP-1 RAs such as semaglutide, some studies report no correlation, and the overall magnitude of the risk of NAION remains low.”
Maturi and Chen both said that the data isn’t conclusive so far and more research is needed to understand if GLP-1 drugs have a true role in developing NAION.
What should GLP-1 users do?
Doctors recommend that people always discuss any potential side effects of a medication with their own doctor and warn that there are proven health risks, including eye problems, if diabetes and obesity go untreated.
“For any patients already taking semaglutide who have not experienced any symptoms, they should continue to do so as instructed and discuss any questions or concerns with their primary care physician,” Maturi said.
Chen said he doesn’t believe this potential risk should prevent most people from using GLP-1 medications if they are recommended by a doctor to help treat an underlying health condition but cautions that people who have experienced NAION in one eye already may need to weigh the possible risks more closely with their doctor.
“We’re not sure if the GLP-1 is connected or not. We know this helps with diabetes, heart disease, and severe obesity,” Chen said. “We essentially don’t want you to stop your meds without talking to your doctor, and if you do have sudden painless vision loss, you should be seen by an eye doctor.”
Jade A. Cobern, MD, MPH, is a practicing physician, board-certified in pediatrics and general preventive medicine, and is a fellow of the ABC News Medical Unit. ABC News’ Elizabeth Schulze also contributed to this reporting.
