California Dept. of Public Health warns Californians not to eat ‘Pickle Me Everything’ products

By

Hannah Saunders

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California’s Department of Public Health (CDPH) recalled “Pickle Me Everything” pickled vegetable products due to a possible clostridium botulinum contamination. Pickle Me Everything is manufactured in Santa Clarita, and rose to popularity through the social media platform, TikTok.

According to CDPH, Pickle Me Everything products have been improperly produced, making them susceptible to botulinum contamination, which is a toxin that comes from improperly processed jarred foods. Botulism is an odorless and colorless toxin that is rare, but also a serious paralytic illness caused by a nerve toxin produced by bacteria. 

 

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Initial symptoms include double or blurred vision, drooping eyelids, and dry or sore throat. Additional symptoms include progressive descending paralysis, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, inability of neck muscles to support the head, and paralysis of extremities and respiratory muscles.

As of January 6th, CDPH was not aware of any illness directly related to these products, which include pickled vegetables in different sizes of glass jars, and some in sealed plastic bags. Pickle Me Everything products may not include ingredient lists, lot codes, or best buy dates.

CDPH recommends consumers in possession of Pickle Me Everything products to immediately discard them by double bagging the jar in tightly closed plastic bags and placing them in non-recyclable trash. CDPH recommends wearing rubber or latex gloves when handling the products, then washing hands with soap and running water afterwards to avoid illness.

Since the recall, Pickle Me Everything ceased manufacturing and voluntarily recalled all varieties of vegetables sold directly to the public, according to CDPH. Owner and Founder Amy Fam has temporarily closed down her Etsy account where she sold pickled products. On December 23rd, 2022, Fam posted a video on TikTok where she apologized to her 145,000 followers. 

“I’m so sorry for all of this, it just happened so fast. I was a small business. It blew up overnight,” Fam said, who acknowledged how fellow TikToker, Food Science Babe, taught her how to properly can food and become licensed. Fam also said she hopes to resolve the issue and properly fix it.

“I am refunding everyone’s orders. I truly apologize,” Fam said. “I’m working on getting my commercial kitchen—I’ve had it since Monday. I’m working on getting all the licenses, the permits, whatever it is that I need to get done to get this properly done.”