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    两名加拿大人饮用上个月被撤出市场的胡萝卜汁后出现麻痹症状，现病情危殆需留院观察。加拿大公共卫生部官员指出，这两名多伦多居民所饮用的胡萝卜汁在早前已被检测出肉毒杆菌毒素阳性。

    据称，这果汁正是9月份被召回的那一批胡萝卜汁，也是被召回的三个品牌之一。这种有毒的胡萝卜汁由加州Bakersfield的Bolthouse农场生产，已在美国造成4例肉毒杆菌中毒，事件曝光后已在北美洲撤下商架。

    9月中旬以来，一名佛罗里达州妇女仍昏迷留院，同时三名乔治亚州人喝了胡萝卜之后出现呼吸衰竭，需要上呼吸机维持呼吸近一个月。肉毒中毒是一种罕见的可致死的食物中毒，可引起全身虚脱、头晕、复视、以及说话吞咽困难。呼吸困难、肌无力、腹胀和便秘也是肉毒中毒的常见症状。如果出现这些情况，应立即就诊。在严重的情况下，肉毒中毒会引起麻痹症状，使呼吸受限，需要呼吸机维持呼吸。

    加拿大公众应避免饮用这三个牌子的胡萝卜汁，包括Bolthouse农场100%胡萝卜汁、Earthbound农场的有机胡萝卜汁和President's Choice 100%纯有机胡萝卜汁。这三个牌子的产品均由Bolthouse农场负责装瓶，均以1升和450毫升装出售。被召回产品的保质日期均为11月11日。 专家建议消费者丢弃这些果汁。由于胡萝卜呈弱酸性，最好在7℃以下保存，如果雪藏不恰当，会助长细菌繁殖，饮用后会出现中毒现象。

    在这次食物恐慌前，加州生产的菠菜被可致死性大肠杆菌污染，怀疑导致美国3例死亡和全国多人中毒。刚刚上个星期，美国食物和药物管理局（FDA）宣布食用美国包装的菠菜是安全的，但是加拿大卫生部门仍未跟进。由于考虑到大肠杆菌污染问题，加州Salinas谷的Nunes公司已主动召回其生产的绿色散叶莴苣。Bolthouse农场也是主动撤回其产品的。内部审计员和FDA已经检查了该农场的加工设备，并已解封。

    Bolthouse农场胡萝卜销往美国50个州以及墨西哥和加拿大。FDA称，胡萝卜汁和其他弱酸性食品一样，必须冷藏以确保安全，饮用经过正确雪藏的胡萝卜汁是安全的。然而FDA表示，所有新鲜的胡萝卜汁如果冷藏不恰当或长期处于高温状态，则有可能存在肉毒杆菌毒素。

    消费者如需进一步了解事件，可致电FDA，电话是1-888-SAFEFOOD （723 3366），或Bolthouse农场，（661）366-7205。

Canadians paralysed after drinking carrot juice
Miscellaneous News
Published: Monday, 9-Oct-2006

Carrot juice which was withdrawn from the market late last month is thought to be responsible for the illness of two Canadians who are paralyzed and are severely ill in hospital.

According to public health officials the Toronto residents drank carrot juice that has since tested positive for a botulism toxin.

The juice is said to be the same carrot juice which was recalled late in September and was one of the three brands recalled.

The juice, produced by Bolthouse Farms in Bakersfield, California was taken off North American store shelves after four cases of botulism in the United States were linked to toxic carrot juice.

One woman from Florida remains in hospital and has been unresponsive, since mid-September while three people in Georgia who suffered respiratory failure after drinking the carrot juice have been on ventilators for a month.

Botulism, though rare is a potentially fatal form of food poisoning and can cause general weakness, dizziness, double-vision and trouble with speaking or swallowing.

Difficulty in breathing, weakness of other muscles, abdominal distension and constipation may also be common symptoms and people experiencing these problems should seek immediate medical attention.

In severe cases, the paralysis can restrict breathing, forcing patients on to ventilators.

The Canadian public has been warned to avoid drinking three brands of carrot juice, Bolthouse Farms 100% Carrot Juice, Earthbound Farm Organic Carrot Juice and President's Choice Organics 100% Pure Carrot Juice.

Bolthouse Farms bottles the three brands and all are sold in one-litre and 450-millilitre containers.

Products with a "best by" date up to Nov. 11 have been recalled.

Consumers are advised to discard the products and the suggestion is that improper refrigeration has caused the problem and as carrot juice is low in acids, and bacteria will grow unless it's kept below 7 C.

This latest food scare comes after California-grown spinach tainted with a potentially deadly strain of E. coli is suspected to have caused three deaths in the U.S.and sickened people across the nation.

Only last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced it was safe to eat U.S.-packaged spinach again, but Canadian health officials have not yet followed suit and now green leaf lettuce produced by the Nunes Company, also in California's Salinas Valley, has been voluntarily recalled because of concerns about E. coli contamination.

The Bolthouse Farms recall is also voluntary and the farms processing facilities were examined closely by internal auditors and the FDA, and have been given the all clear.

Their carrot Juice is distributed to 50 states in the U.S. along with Mexico and Canada.

The FDA says carrot juice, like other low acid products, must be kept refrigerated to ensure product safety and properly refrigerated carrot juice poses no risk to consumer health.

However, says the FDA, all fresh carrot juice, has the potential to harbor Botulism if improperly refrigerated or exposed to elevated temperatures for extended periods of time.

Consumers who are concerned can call the FDA at 1-888-SAFEFOOD (723 3366), or Wm. Bolthouse Farms at (661) 366-7205, for more information.

编辑：蓝色幻想