Wednesday, March 12, 2008

CERTAIN PEAR JUICES FOR TODDLERS MAY CONTAIN ARSENIC

HEALTH HAZARD ALERT - CERTAIN PEAR JUICES FOR TODDLERS MAY CONTAIN ARSENIC OTTAWA, March 11, 2008 -

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Loblaws Inc. are warning the public not to consume certain pear juices for toddlers because these products may be contaminated with arsenic.

The following products are affected by this recall:

Product UPC Size Lot Codes
President’s Choice Organics Pear Juice from Concentrate for Toddlers 0 60383 70935 8 1 L
All Beech Nut Pear Juice from concentrate with Vitamin C added 0 523842 8 128 mL 2009 FE 02; A0384B0935

These products have been distributed across Canada. There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of these products. Arsenic is a toxic heavy metal that may be carcinogenic and may pose developmental risks to children. Loblaws Inc, Brampton, Ontario, has voluntarily recalled the affected products from the marketplace.

The CFIA is monitoring the effectiveness of the recall. For more information, consumers and industry can call one of the following numbers: Loblaws Customer Relations at 1-888-495-5111; CFIA at 1-800-442-2342 / TTY 1-800-465-7735 (8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern time, Monday to Friday). For information on receiving recalls by e-mail, or for other food safety facts, visit our web site at www.inspection.gc.ca. - 30 - Media enquiries: Garfield Balsom (English) Canadian Food Inspection Agency Food Recall and Emergency Response 613-760-4232 Linda LeBlanc (French) Canadian Food Inspection Agency Food Recall and Emergency Response 613-760-4112