Unilever said the nationwide recall involves all 11-ounce cans of Slim-Fast, including those sold in four-, six- and 12-packs as well as individual cans, regardless of flavor, use-by date, lot code or UPC number. The likelihood of any "serious health consequences" caused by ingesting Slim-Fast is remote, Unilever said.
Unilever said the recall was initiated after conducting quality tests. The recall involves those products on store shelves, as well as those in distribution centers and consumers' homes. Unilever said it was in the process of identifying and correcting a production issue and plans to resume production and shipments of Slim-Fast "when the issue has been addressed and corrected."
The Slim-Fast brand is also used on powdered shakes, and meal and snack bars. None of those products are affected by the recall, Unilever said.
Consumers who have cans of Slim-Fast in their homes are urged to discard them immediately and call the company for a full refund. The company's customer-service center can be reached at 800-896-9479 and is open 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. eastern time, Monday through Friday. "A recorded message is available 24/7," the company said.
In February, Unilever was ordered to recall three types of Slim-Fast bars after a Texas state health-department inspection determined nuts contained in the product were processed at a facility in Plainview with unsanitary conditions that could have compromised the peanuts.
Thursday's voluntary recall of Slim-Fast ready-to-drink shakes was made in cooperation with the Food and Drug Administration. Unilever didn't disclose the number of cans involved in the recall, but said it recalled all cans "out of an abundance of caution."
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