By JOLENE CRAIG
Ohio Correspondent

MARIETTA, Ohio — Broughton Foods has recalled juices and other non-dairy beverages due to possible contamination.

“This is a precautionary and voluntary recall,” said Dave Broughton, vice president and general manager of the Marietta, Ohio-based company.

The recall is because of the possibility that some products may contain undeclared milk protein and not because of an illness, Broughton said. This is a result of tests performed on rinse water after cleaning factory items during a routine inspection by the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA).

The rinse water tested positive for milk proteins, which can cause allergic reactions if people who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to milk consume it. The ODA said in a statement that because the milk protein was not declared on the label, it cannot be distributed. Broughton said the company was notified of the issue Feb. 13 and began the recall immediately. If it had not instituted the recall, the ODA would have issued a public notice.

The recall includes 280,235 pints of Broughton Orange Juice; 5,544 pints of Broughton Citrus Punch; 9,895 pints of Broughton Fruit Punch; and 146,202 pints of Broughton Brewed Iced Tea with Sugar Added. The affected products were distributed to retail outlets in southeastern Ohio, West Virginia, eastern Kentucky and Virginia.
“There have been no illnesses reported,” Broughton said.

The dates on the items begin September 2008 and run through January. Because the items in the recall are past the expiration dates there should not be any available for purchase.

“All products have since expired, so we don’t expect any problems to come of the recall,” Broughton said. People who have the affected products can return them to the store of purchase for a refund.
All subsequent tests of equipment and rinse water have been negative for the milk proteins or other problems. “Everything has been cleaned and we don’t think there will be anymore problems related to the milk protein,” he said.

Broughton Foods makes dairy products, including milk, ice cream and cottage cheese, as well as several non-dairy products. The last recall Broughton issued was last month on its peanut butter ice cream, as part of the national problem with peanut products and possible salmonella contamination.

This recall includes:
•Pints of Broughton Orange Juice dated Jan. 14 or earlier with a UPC code of 70880 02070
•Pints of Broughton Brewed Iced Tea with Sugar Added dated Dec. 20 or earlier with a UPC code of 70880 02063
•Pints of Broughton Citrus Punch dated Sept. 17 or earlier with a UPC code of 70880 02130
•Pints of Broughton Fruit Punch dated Sept. 16 or earlier with a UPC code of 70880 02234