330ml cans of Liquifruit red grape juice have been recalled Image: Twitter
Pioneer Foods has confirmed this morning that the batch of LiquiFruit Red Grape 330ml cans recalled last weekend did not contain pieces of glass. What looked like glass was independently verified to be potassium bitartrate (cream of tartar) crystals which occur naturally in products made from grapes.
According to a statement from Pioneer Foods, these crystals can be found in grape products such as grape juice and wine. Crystallisation occurs in certain conditions, such as low temperature. In this case, the crystals formed after the grapes were processed and the juice canned. Cream of tartar is used as a cooking aid.
However, consumers are still advised not to drink the juice from the specific batch and return the cans to the store where they bought them for a full refund. The recall remains in place and Pioneer Foods has apologised for any anxiety and concern caused.
Three consumers complained of finding “shards of glass” in the grape juice which prompted Pioneer Foods to recall about 270,000 cans of its LiquiFruit grape juice. Two-thirds of the batch of cans were not on the shelves yet and Pioneer Foods worked with retailers to remove the rest from their shelves.
According to Pioneer Foods, it has not received any reports of consumers being harmed after drinking the juice that contained the crystals. The company made the announcement in newspaper advertisements this morning.
The description of the product in question is as follows:
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