New Zealand Food Safety on Thursday issued a recall for Our Fruit Box (OFB) juice. Photo: Our Fruit Box / supplied
Kiwis are being warned to avoid a raw fruit juice brand potentially operating without proper food safety controls.
New Zealand Food Safety, part of the Ministry for Primary Industries, on Thursday issued a recall for Our Fruit Box (OFB) juice.
"This raw fruit juice presents a food safety risk because it has not been through the required checks and balances to make sure it is safe to consume," deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle said.
"The company making these juices has not been registered under the Food Act, so consumers cannot be certain that risks have been properly identified and managed."
The risks include E.coli, salmonella, cryptosporidium and norovirus, "making it unsafe to consume, particularly for people who are young, older, pregnant or with weakened immune systems".
The raw juice "has limited identifying labelling or branding", officials said, but is often sold in 20L plastic containers labelled 'OFB' and in "unlabelled bottles of different shapes and sizes".
It was believed the dangerous juice was being sold informally, door-to-door, at local markets and online. They were advertised as frozen, partially frozen or defrosted
"If you have bought this product - either labelled OFB or Our Fruit Box, or with limited or no identifying labelling or branding - do not consume it and throw it out," Arbuckle said.
"If you are unsure of whether an unlabelled product you have bought is OFB, ask the supplier."
Our Fruit Box's website said it only used "spray-free/organic fruit", and had stock in both the North and South Islands. Its juices cost up to $25 a litre.
There have been no reported illnesses as a result of consuming Our Fruit Box juice yet. Food Safety said anyone with concerns should contact their doctor or ring Healthline on 0800 611 116.
Our Fruit Box has been contacted for a response.