On December 3, 2009 Unilever U.S. Inc. conducted a nationwide
voluntary recall of all canned Slim-Fast ready-to-drink products
due to the possibility of contamination by a microorganism. The
recalled products may be tainted by bacillus cereus, a mild disease
which can cause diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. The probability of
serious adverse health consequences is remote.
Unilever claims to have initiated the recall "out of an
abundance of caution" after it conducted a quality testing of
its ready-to-drink products that are currently in distribution
centers, on shelves, in back rooms of retail outlets and in
consumers' homes. The recalled products were sold individually,
as well as in cartons of 4, 6, or 12 steel cans that are 11 ounces
in size. This recall applies to liquid products in cans or bottles
regardless of flavor, best-by date, lot code or UPC number. In
total, approximately 10 million products are subject to recall.
However, the recall does not apply to other
