California health officials have issued a warning advising the public to refrain from consuming two jarred food products that may be tainted with a potentially lethal bacterium.
The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has identified Shemshad’s Mulberry Molasses and Mulberry Jam, sold in the Los Angeles area, as potentially contaminated with Clostridium botulinum, a bacterium known to cause botulism.
The implicated products were retailed at Woodland Hills Market in Woodland Hills, Q Market in Van Nuys, and Wholesome Choice Market in Irvine. Despite the health concerns, Shemshad, headquartered in Los Angeles, has not initiated a voluntary recall of the affected products, as per the CDPH’s news release.
The CDPH highlighted that the Molasses and Jam items were produced without oversight from the CDPH Cannery Program, rendering them susceptible to contamination with Clostridium botulinum. Ingestion of the botulism toxin resulting from improperly processed jarred and canned foods poses a severe risk, potentially leading to serious illness and death.
Officials have identified the affected products as 16-ounce glass jars marked with the date APR 25, 2025.
Given that the botulism toxin is both odorless and colorless, consumers will be unable to detect any contamination. Consequently, individuals possessing any of these products or any items made with them are strongly advised to discard them immediately, according to the CDPH.