Smoothie cubes pulled for raw elderberry use

Federal food safety officials say a Quebec company’s new line of frozen smoothie cubes, sold online, is being recalled over its use of raw elderberries and a resulting potential risk of cyanide poisoning.

Montreal-based Evive Nutrition, known in part for its pitch on CBC TV’s Dragons’ Den in 2019, is recalling its Evive brand Immunity Super Functional Smoothie from the marketplace, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency said late Friday.

The company makes several flavours and types of blender-free frozen smoothie cubes, which can be mixed with liquids and shaken after the cubes thaw. The cubes are marketed via the company’s website.

The recall on the Immunity smoothies is due to the presence of raw elderberries, which contain cyanogenic glycosides, a natural toxin, CFIA said.

Found naturally in raw elderberries, cyanogenic glycosides can release cyanide after being eaten, the agency said — and while the human body can eliminate small amounts of cyanide, larger amounts can result in cyanide poisoning, “which could lead to death.”

CFIA said this particular recall was “triggered by consumer complaints” and there have been reported illnesses associated with consumption of the product. The agency didn’t say Friday what kinds of illness were reported.

Anyone who thinks they became sick from consuming a recalled product is advised to call a doctor, CFIA said. Symptoms of cyanide poisoning can range from weakness and confusion, anxiety, restlessness, headache, nausea, difficulty breathing and shortness of breath up to loss of consciousness, seizures and cardiac arrest.

Consumers should otherwise check to see if they have the recalled product at home. A recalled product shouldn’t be consumed but should be thrown out or, where possible, returned to its point of purchase.

Evive’s Immunity product is sold in 150-gram packages (see below) with the lot number H202131213 and best-before date 2023 MA 06; H202132113 and 2023 MA 18; and/or H202134213 and 2023 JN 08.

Evive, in business since 2015, launched the Immunity Super Functional Smoothie in November 2021, billing it on its Facebook page as a “meticulously crafted” smoothie that’s an “excellent source of 17 vitamins and minerals” and “your complete source of vitamin C for the day.”

“Elderberry and acerola cherry also pack a powerful antioxidant and antiviral punch. They contain flavonoids that fight infection and allow you to better fight off common viruses like cold and flu,” the company said on its website.

Elderberry was among the ingredients declared on the Immunity smoothie’s ingredient list, which also included multiple organic and conventional fruits and vegetables as well as orange juice, chia protein, rosehip powder, maitake and shiitake mushrooms and sunflower seed.

As of late Friday, the company’s website lists the product as “Out of Stock.”

The risk of cyanide poisoning has led to several product recalls in Canada over the past year, related mostly to apricot kernels. CFIA in early 2020 set a maximum level of 20 parts per million of total extractable cyanide in apricot kernels sold as food.

In elderberries’ case, according to a University of Florida Extension document on cultivating the crop, any plant materials other than the ripe fruit and flowers — that is, parts such as stems, leaves, and green or underripe berries — should not be consumed.

Ripening of many varieties of elderberry fruit isn’t necessarily uniform in a single orchard or even a single cluster, UF said, so “proper sorting of fruit is essential to remove green and underripe berries” along with any fine stems still attached.

Done properly, processing and heating are also known to break down the cyanogenic glucosides in elderberries, UF said.

In all, it said, the fruit’s handling requirements “necessitate an approach to marketing the crop in a manner that eliminates any toxicity concern for the consumer.” — Glacier FarmMedia Network

Evive’s Immunity smoothie product label. (Photo courtesy CFIA)