WATSONVILLE — More than 170,000 bottles of apple juice produced by Watsonville-based S. Martinelli & Co. have been taken off the shelves due to potential contamination with a toxic substance known as patulin, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced.
In a statement provided to the Sentinel, Martinelli’s officials wrote that no health issues have been associated with the recall, which was initiated last year as the FDA did routine testing on its products. This testing found that one lot of glass bottles of apple juice, made available for purchase in four-packs, produced in December 2023, was found to potentially contain elevated levels of patulin, a toxic compound known as a mycotoxin, which is naturally produced by certain types of molds or fungi that grow on fruits such as apples.
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Apple juice recalled in Florida, California, 26 other states for possible toxin
Mold growth “can occur either before harvest or after harvest, during storage, on/in the food itself often under warm, damp and humid conditions,” per the World Health Organization. “Most mycotoxins are chemically stable and survive food processing.”
Starting March 18, Martinelli’s issued a voluntary recall in 28 states, including California, of the affected bottles. These bottles have a “best by” date of Dec. 5, 2026, are identified by their clear, bulbous and round glass appearance and are available in 10-ounce four-packs. The products have a Universal Product Code number of 0 41244 04102 2.
“Martinelli’s has worked with those retailers that received the product and the retailers have removed anything that still remained in inventory,” company officials wrote.
On April 22, the FDA issued a Class II recall for the affected products, which signifies that a product’s use or exposure may lead to adverse health consequences. According to the World Health Organization, symptoms of ingesting patulin may include nausea, gastrointestinal disturbances and vomiting.
Recalls have also been issued for the products sold in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin.
“At S. Martinelli & Company, we hold ourselves to the highest standards of excellence, and the health and safety of our customers remains our greatest priority,” company officials wrote.
S. Martinelli & Co.‘s roots in Watsonville date back to 1859 when Stepheno Martinelli emigrated from Switzerland to his brother Luigi’s apple farm in the Pajaro Valley. There, they began making cider out of the apples they grew, founding the company in 1868. Today, S. Martinelli & Co. produces a range of ciders and juices. No other Martinelli’s products, including juices with different production dates, have been impacted by the recall, the company confirmed.