A California-based water bottling company recalled 14 of its brands from the market after it found that its water sources in Pennsylvania may be contaminated with human or animal wastes.
Niagara Bottling voluntarily recalled products from its facilities in Hamburg and Allentown, Pennsylvania from June 10 to June 18 due to a possible contamination of E. Coli, a bacteria that causes diarrhea. It is commonly found in human intestines, but some strains are deadlier. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain or cramping.
In a statement on its website, Niagara Bottling emphasized that the issue is limited to the said facilities and that the company has ceased getting water from the contaminated spring for its failure to alert them about the E. Coli.
"Despite this, once we were informed of the potential presence of E. coli at the spring source, we immediately shut down our operations, disinfected our bottling lines and initiated a voluntary recall in an abundance of caution and in the interests of consumer safety," it said.
Niagara Bottling said it has not received reports of people getting sick due to the products but advised people to first boil their bottled water before drinking or not use them as a precaution. The company offered to reimburse those who will return the products.
The company said the following brands produced at those facilities during the given period may have been contaminated:
Acadia, Acme, Big Y, Best Yet, 7-11, Niagara, Nature's Place, Pricerite, Superchill, Morning Fresh, Shaw's, Shoprite, Western Beef Blue and Wegman's.
Niagara Bottling said consumers may know if the products came from the said plants by checking the date code and manufacturing information on the bottles. Those with codes beginning with A came from Allentown Pennsylvania, while F refers to products from Hamburg. The date and time of production may also be seen there.
