CNN
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Daily Harvest, an Instagram-friendly dining service, is experiencing a voluntary online reaction. to remember reported that one of its products, many people who consumed it, suffered from mysterious symptoms, including an overproduction of liver enzymes.
The direct consumer brand has long used a network of online influencers to promote their products. Several influencers who now say they are sick say the company’s sluggish response to the crisis has placed a new responsibility on the affected community to warn the public.
It also reveals the rapid complications that can occur when you suffer from a demographic stratum with such a vast internet.
“This company is built on the influence,” he said organic skin care brand met with his wife and told CNN Business that in mid-May he bought a product called French Lentils and Leeks Crumbles as part of a PR package.
“What sets them up as a multibillion-dollar appraisal company is all those influencers who market for them,” he said. “Right now, it’s the influencers who warn the public that if you eat this product, you could end up in the hospital.”
After consuming the product, Silverstein said, “I’ve never been in so much pain – it’s the first time I’ve felt helpless.”
In response to numerous requests for comment from CNN Business, the Daily Harvest posted the latest update on its website regarding a voluntary recall from the company.
“We want to make sure you have the latest update on our voluntary recall of French Lentil + Leek Crumbles. We take this very seriously and do our best to get to the bottom of it. Your health and well-being is our top priority. ”
“We are working with a team of experts – including microbiologists, toxins and pathogens specialists, as well as allergists – to help get under it,” the Daily Harvest said in a statement. “All pathogenic and toxicological results have been negative so far, but we continue to conduct extensive testing and will update you.”
a updated blog post On Thursday night, the company said it had received about 470 reports of illness or adverse reactions and an investigation into the root cause was ongoing. He added that about 28,000 units of the recalled product were distributed in the United States from April 28 to June 17.
On June 17, the company sent e-mails to people who first bought the product, after consuming small items, “reported a small number of customers with gastrointestinal problems” and urged those who still have them to throw them away. He first issued a statement on June 19 warning the public not to consume scraps.
Launched in 2016, the Daily Harvest’s rise to prominence has largely been linked to its aggressive social media campaigns. The company has received many celebrities, including Gwyneth Paltrow and Serena Williams (Peltrow and Williams did not immediately respond to CNN Business’s commentary).
Meal set company announced In November last year, it secured the financing of Serie D, which valued the Daily Product at more than $ 1 billion.
Silverstein said he spent time at the ambulance center where doctors fled to figure out what was wrong. He tested negative for all forms of hepatitis, which was initially suspected, and as a result performed a series of blood tests that showed liver enzymes off schedule. He says the levels of important liver enzymes are twelve times higher than normal.
He spent weeks without knowing the cause of the mysterious illness until he said his wife saw a post from content creator Luke Wesley Pearson of Portland. Pearson reported shockingly similar symptoms, and both realized they had received the scrap from the company before it was released to the public market.
Pearson quoted CNN Business as saying he underwent emergency surgery to remove his gallbladder on June 12 after experiencing gastrointestinal upset.
Pearson says he tried lentil crushing twice, both of which caused severe stomach pains. But it was the second attempt to send him to ER. After symptoms such as “unbearable” stomach aches, fever, aches, itching of the hands and feet, and jaundice, Pearson included a cold test that detects elevated liver enzymes, as well as high blood pressure – like the Silverbilirubin test. The doctors finally decided to remove Pearson’s gallbladder.
For Pearson, it was only after seeing one viral TikTok Abby Silverman realized that the problems could be related to the food she ate before the problems started. Silverman, a creative director in New York, posted a video on TikTok about his experience after eating the Daily Harvest product, which garnered more than 100,000 likes. He said that lentils reduced him to ER twice in the same way, with high levels of liver enzymes. Although he doubted it could be devastating, he said he officially linked the medical crisis to lentils after an email from the Daily Harvest on June 19 reminding him on Reddit that he had caused a large number of people to detail similar symptoms. Silverman’s lawyer, Mark Apostolos, told CNN Business that the medical records documented his illness and symptoms.
“It’s interesting because I’ve seen a lot of people try Daily Harvest on social media over the years, so I said yes to the PR package,” Silverman told CNN Business.
“All of this health has simply caused a great deal of concern,” Silverman said, and the lawyer kept the Apostle in order to cope with the damage. “It simply came to our notice then. I made the video because I felt that people weren’t doing enough to warn them of what was happening – I thought people were probably still in the freezer.
“We are investigating and evaluating all legal remedies for Abby, who suffers from the disease after consuming this product sent to him,” Apostolos said.
Another customer who removed the gallbladder was Candice Smith, who told CNN Business that she thought she had a heart attack after taking the product. “It was the worst night of my life,” said Rale, CEO of Public Relations. His gallbladder was removed on June 19.
The company declined to comment on claims about customers’ products related to gallbladder operations. Everyone who spoke to CNN Business said doctors were initially confused by their symptoms.
Smith said he had no relevant medical condition before going to the hospital. “I try to be healthy. I eat plant-based foods and try to do everything right, ”Smith said. “What am I doing here? Why am I here? Why am I in so much pain in my life? ”
Caroline Sweet, a freelance actor and writer in Los Angeles, said she was in the emergency room after undergoing a CT scan after experiencing “complete double pain” when she received an email from the Daily Harvest informing her on June 17. throw away the crumbs and offer him a $ 10 store loan. (The company said in a blog post that all consumers are given credit for the recalled product).
“It was like a big curse,” Sweet said of the email. “Their poor treatment makes them feel like a big slap in the face.”
Sarah Schacht, a consultant and property manager in Seattle, said she was “severely ill” in the same way after consuming the product, which she initially said was for organic and healthy marketing. “Everyone on the Internet has been offered Daily Harvest ads, haven’t they?” he said.
Schacht called twitter about encouraging people to take samples from local health departments or their Food and Drug Administration.
Silverstein, meanwhile, said he was incredibly concerned about the Daily Harvest Instagram post, which was used to alert customers about the recall. The article, published on June 19, simply used a previous promotional image of the collapse and directed people to click on a link for a “critical message” to a blog post about the voluntary recall. Silverstein said that at first glance, most people would think that this post introduces the product. The Daily Harvest has since deleted the post it cited from its Instagram account, which has been widely reported as insensitive.
The FDA said in a statement to CNN Business that it could not confirm or deny that an investigation had taken place that was not listed on its website. “However, the FDA is receiving reports of possible food fraud that could lead to serious illness or injury,” an FDA spokesman said.
The agency added that when a special consumer guide is developed, the FDA and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will publish recommendations on the epidemic that will make the guide available to the public.
“I’m very angry because we’re all in unanswered darkness,” Pearson said. “I know that accidents happen in the food industry all the time, and I’ve just seen other companies that are completely transparent, telling loudly and clearly what happened, what the next steps were, and what they learned. just do it. ”
Silverstein added that he feels some of the burden has fallen on those affected to warn viewers. When a company sends emails to customers and posts a statement on its website, it thinks it needs to do more to keep people informed on social media.
He and his wife, who have worked with the Daily Harvest for about five years and have had no problems in the past, said they had no choice but to “cut ties with them.”
