About fifteen duck products recalled due to botulism risk

Confit, lard, foie gras, rillettes… About fifteen duck products have been recalled since Tuesday due to the risk of botulism.

All these products, packaged in glass jars, are produced under the La Ferme au délice royal brand. In particular, they are sold in Intermarché stores in several departments. We are talking about terrines, rillettes, foie gras or duck confit. A list of recalled products and retail locations is available on the consumer reviews website.

“These products were manufactured and/or stored under conditions that do not provide satisfactory health protection,” the website states, adding that they are therefore “likely to pose a health hazard to consumers.” People who have purchased them are asked not to consume them and to contact consumer services.

Potentially fatal infection

These products especially pose a risk of botulism, a rare disease that can result from consumption of products containing botulinum toxin. “This toxin develops, in particular, in canned food, homemade or artisanal meat products for which the sterilization process has not been developed,” the site explains.

Symptoms most often appear 12 to 72 hours after ingestion. They are characterized by “neurological signs” such as “a feeling of blurred vision, drooping eyelids, speech problems, difficulty swallowing, dry mouth and muscle weakness.” “Digestive disorders often accompany neurological symptoms,” the site adds. According to the Pasteur Institute, botulism is fatal in approximately 5-10% of cases.

One person died and eight were hospitalized in September after contracting botulism while eating sardines from a can at a bar in Bordeaux.