A popular meal delivery service in the United States has recalled a lentil-based food product after days of customers posting online about gastrointestinal issues they faced after eating the French Lentil + Leek Crumbles meal.
Daily Harvest, the trendy brand that sells the food product, is known for its influencer sponsorships and is comparable to services like Hello Fresh and Blue Apron. The company posted a recall statement on its website on Sunday, June 19.
NBC News was able to view an email the brand sent to an affected customer on Friday. Daily Harvest asked a customer to throw away the lentils "out of an abundance of caution," with the brand offering a $10 credit for every bag of the product purchased.
Customer suffers extreme liver pain because of Daily Harvest Lentil Crumbles
The email stated that a small number of customers had reported gastrointestinal discomfort after consuming Daily Harvest's French Lentil + Leek Crumbles. Daily Harvest added that, as included in their cooking instructions, lentils must be thoroughly cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F.
Daily Harvest wrote in its recall statement that it launched an investigation with internal and external experts throughout its supply chain and in accordance with regulatory procedures. Their customers have posted about being hospitalized and experiencing severe stomach pains on social media.
Luke Tashie, who shared his recall email from the company, said that he does not believe Daily Harvest is taking a serious or speedy enough approach to the situation. Tashie, who wrote in his email that he had "extreme liver pain" and was hospitalized after consuming the lentil-based food product, said he is concerned about long-term damage to his liver.
Tashie added that the surgeons that consulted with him were so perplexed that they seriously considered removing his gallbladder. Liza Torborg, a communications director for the Mayo Clinic, wrote in 2018 that the protein in raw lentils that can cause negative health effects would have to be eaten in large quantities outside a regular diet to be a concern. Torborg added that the protein, lectin, breaks down when processed and cooked.
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More customers posting complaints about Daily Harvest's product
Dozens of customers affected by Daily Harvest have posted testimonies similar to Tashie's on the company's Reddit page and in comments on Daily Harvest's Instagram account, which has over 600,000 followers. The brand responded to customer complaints about the product as early as Wednesday, June 15. The company did not respond to requests for comment about the timeline of its official response.
CJ Frogozo, Vice President of Community & Advocacy at Daily Harvest, told Los Angeles magazine last month that Crumbles is a protein source made entirely of plants. He added that the product is groundbreaking because they are basing the Crumbles on nuts, legumes, seeds, cauliflower, butternut squash, and mushrooms, so better for customers, it's better for the planet, and it has 13 grams of protein per serving.
