Garden of Life Recalls Several Brands of Dietary Supplement and Protein Bars

CONTACT: CONSUMERS – GOL CONSUMER SUPPORT TEAM:  866-465-0051 RETAILERS – GOL RETAIL SUPPORT TEAM: 866-465-0052 MEDIA – RHONDA PRICE:  561-748-2477 EXT. 1100

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — WEST PALM BEACH, FL, FEBRUARY 2, 2009 – GARDEN OF LIFE, INC. TODAY ANNOUNCED THAT IT IS VOLUNTARILY RECALLING ITS FÜCOPROTEIN PEANUT BUTTER CRUNCH BARS (FORMERLY CALLED PERFECT WEIGHT AMERICA PEANUT BUTTER CRUNCH BARS) BECAUSE THE PEANUTS IN THE BARS WERE SOURCED FROM PEANUT CORPORATION OF AMERICA (PCA).

THE FDA HAS INDICATED THAT PEANUT CORPORATION OF AMERICA IS THE FOCUS OF AN INVESTIGATION INTO SALMONELLA RELATED ILLNESSES THOUGHT TO BE CAUSED BY TAINTED PEANUT BUTTER. SALMONELLA IS AN ORGANISM WHICH CAN CAUSE SERIOUS AND SOMETIMES FATAL INFECTIONS IN YOUNG CHILDREN, FRAIL OR ELDERLY PEOPLE, AND OTHERS WITH WEAKENED IMMUNE SYSTEMS. HEALTHY PERSONS INFECTED WITH SALMONELLA OFTEN EXPERIENCE FEVER, DIARRHEA (WHICH MAY BE BLOODY), NAUSEA, VOMITING AND ABDOMINAL PAIN. IN RARE CIRCUMSTANCES, INFECTION WITH SALMONELLA CAN RESULT IN THE ORGANISM GETTING INTO THE BLOODSTREAM AND PRODUCING MORE SEVERE ILLNESSES SUCH AS ARTERIAL INFECTIONS (I.E. INFECTED ANEURYSMS), ENDOCARDITIS AND ARTHRITIS. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON SALMONELLA, PLEASE VISIT THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION’S WEBSITE AT HTTP://WWW.CDC.GOV.

NO ILLNESSES HAVE BEEN REPORTED IN CONNECTION WITH FÜCOPROTEIN PEANUT BUTTER CRUNCH BARS OR PERFECT WEIGHT AMERICA PEANUT BUTTER CRUNCH BARS AND NO OTHER FLAVORS OF PERFECT WEIGHT AMERICA BARS OR FÜCOPROTEIN BARS ARE BEING RECALLED.

NO OTHER GARDEN OF LIFE PRODUCTS ARE INVOLVED OR IMPACTED.

THE COMPANY INITIATED THE VOLUNTARY RECALL IN RESPONSE TO THE RECALL BY PCA. PEANUT PRODUCTS PRODUCED BY PCA HAVE BEEN IMPLICATED IN AN OUTBREAK OF SALMONELLA. AS THE SCOPE OF THE U.S. FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION (FDA) INVESTIGATION INTO THIS OUTBREAK EXPANDED THIS PAST WEEK, PCA WIDENED ITS RECALL. PCA HAS PROVIDED PEANUTS TO ONE OF GARDEN OF LIFE’S SUPPLIERS. EVEN THOUGH GARDEN OF LIFE ROUTINELY PERFORMS PATHOGEN TESTING ON EVERY FINISHED GOOD LOT TO ENSURE SAFETY, IT FELT IT WAS IN THE PUBLIC’S BEST INTERESTS TO ISSUE ITS OWN VOLUNTARY CLASS I RECALL OF ITS PEANUT CONTAINING PRODUCT.

THE PRODUCT LISTED BELOW HAS BEEN SOLD TO TRADITIONAL AND INTERNET RETAILERS AND DIRECT CONSUMERS IN PACKAGES OF 12 BARS INDIVIDUALLY WRAPPED IN FLEXIBLE FOIL AND SHRINK-WRAPPED IN A SHELF-TRAY. THE RETAILERS IN TURN SELL THEM IN COMPLETE PACKAGES OR AS INDIVIDUAL UNITS. CONSUMERS WERE ALSO SOLD INDIVIDUAL BARS, AND INDIVIDUAL BARS WERE PLACED INTO SAMPLE KITS CALLED ‘PERFECT WEIGHT AMERICA SUCCESS SYSTEM’ AND ‘PERFECT WEIGHT AMERICA ULTIMATE SUCCESS SYSTEM’.

THE SPECIFIC PRODUCT IN THIS RECALL IS:

LABELED AS:    PERFECT WEIGHT AMERICA PEANUT BUTTER CRUNCH BAR DESCRIPTION:   PROTEIN SUPPLEMENT BAR

LABELED AS:    FÜCOPROTEIN PEANUT BUTTER CRUNCH BAR DESCRIPTION:   PROTEIN SUPPLEMENT BAR

CUSTOMERS AND CONSUMERS WHO HAVE PURCHASED RECALLED PRODUCT ARE URGED TO DESTROY THE PRODUCT, AND TO CONTACT GARDEN OF LIFE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION. QUESTIONS MAY BE DIRECTED TO THE COMPANY AT 1-866-465-0051, MONDAY-FRIDAY BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 9:00 AM AND 5:00 PM EST.