RECALL: Garlic powder pulled from shelves in Canada

Certain garlic powder has been pulled from shelves in Canada.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said in a notice that it is being pulled from shelves due to Bacillus cereus, which is a bacterium that can cause food poisoning.

The affected product is the Heavenly Spices brand garlic powder.

It’s 70 g in size, has the UPC number 6 67888 50634 7 and the following codes are impacted: BB : 2029 JAN 30 GP 30ZV PIT.

The CFIA said it was distributed nationally and online.

The recalling firm is Dollarama L.P.

Consumers are being advised to not use, sell, or distribute the impacted garlic powder.

The CFIA has listed it as a class two recall, which means “there is a moderate risk that consuming the food may lead to short-term or non-life threatening health problems.”

What is Bacillus cereus?

As mentioned, Bacillus cereus can cause food poisoning.

The bacterium is widespread in the environment and it’s commonly found in soil, according to the BC Centre for Disease Control.

“​Food poisoning caused by B. cereus is an acute intoxication that occurs when this microorganism produces toxins, causing two types of gastrointestinal illness: an emetic (vomiting) syndrome or a diarrhoeal syndrome,” the BC CDC says.

The emetic syndrome typically causes symptoms within 30 minutes to five hours after ingestion of contaminated food.

The diarrhoeal syndrome normally leads to symptoms within eight to 16 hours.

In both cases, symptoms typically go away within 24 hours.

Sometimes, the illness can be more severe.

“B. cereus is considered a relatively common cause of gastroenteritis worldwide…. B. cereus will grow in food that has been improperly stored, therefore proper food handling, especially after cooking, will help prevent illnesses caused by this microorganism,” the BC CDC says.