Have you ever tried what’s been dubbed the “world’s strongest coffee?” Known as “Death Wish Coffee,” an average cup of the brew “contains 12 to 16 milligrams of caffeine per fluid ounce,” much more than your typical cup of joe. Unfortunately for the company behind the product, the FDA and CDC are forcing it to recall “thousands of cans of the cold-brew caffeine drink” after concerns that “toxins responsible for the deadly illness botulism might have made it into” the product.
Have you ever tried what’s been dubbed the “world’s strongest coffee?” Known as “Death Wish Coffee,” an average cup of the brew “contains 12 to 16 milligrams of caffeine per fluid ounce,” much more than your typical cup of joe. Unfortunately for the company behind the product, the FDA and CDC are forcing it to recall “thousands of cans of the cold-brew caffeine drink” after concerns that “toxins responsible for the deadly illness botulism might have made it into” the product.
The specific product being recalled is the company’s “11-ounce cans of its nitrogen-infused Nitro Cold Brew coffee,” and rightly so. Botulism is no joke. It’s a “rare illness which causes the body to attack its own nerve cells.” So how did botulism end up in coffee? Well, the company thinks that it’s brewing process is to blame. Death Wish Coffee is made by steeping coffee beans in a cold-brewing process “to reduce the acidity of the liquid.” Unfortunately, this also allows botulism spores to grow, prompting company leaders, including owner Mike Brown to conclude that the “brewing process was flawed.” In a statement Brown said:
“Our customers’ safety is of paramount importance and Death Wish Coffee is taking this significant, proactive step to ensure that the highest quality, safest, and of course, strongest coffee products we produce are of industry-exceeding standards…Our reputation matters more than our finances at this point… I’m not in the business of putting anyone at risk here.”
An additional online statement from the company read:
“In short, it looks like our process wasn’t perfect and we’re excited to revisit it with guidance from some of the most meticulous scientists in the world.”
At the moment there have been no reports of illness related to the heavily caffeinated brew, and “none of the company’s other products are involved in the recall.” For now, anyone who purchases the product from the company’s website will be able to obtain a full refund within 60 days.
Sources:
‘Death Wish’ Coffee Recalled For Potentially Lethal Botulism Risk
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