FDA: Recalled Chobani Greek yogurt may have sickened 89 people

GlobalPost

A batch of fizzing, smelly Greek yogurt is causing stomachaches for dozens of people across the country and a big headache for the Food and Drug Administration.

The FDA is investigating at least 89 reports of illnesses after people ate a recalled batch of Chobani Greek yogurt.

FDA spokeswoman Tamara Ward told The Times-News on Monday that some people who ate the yogurt described having nausea and cramps.

Grocery stores around the country were sent notices last week to destroy 35 varieties of the yogurt.

The bad batch, which was manufactured Twin Falls, Idaho, was thought to be contaminated by a mold commonly linked to dairy, fruits and vegetables.

The company said on Friday that the species of mold was determined through "extensive testing and expert consultation" to be Mucor circinelloides.

A link between Chobani products and the illnesses has not been confirmed by the FDA.

The illnesses have put a strain on the hugely profitable Greek yogurt business.

Complaints about the bad yogurts are splashed all over Chobani's Facebook page along with some praise for the company's customer service team.

Consumers weren't happy about finding things like "black mystery goo," "bloated" containers and reported vomiting, diarrhea and trips to the emergency room.

The criticisms seemed to hit Chobani's CEO Hamdi Ulukaya particularly hard.

A Facebook post on Thursday signed "Hamdi" showed a close up of the executive gazing forlornly into the distance.

It was signed, "My heartfelt apologies to our friends and customers."

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