Ein Gedi recalls bottles on contamination worry
08/09/2012 04:56
"Disgusted" elderly woman launches class action suit in response to discovery of bacteria.
water bottle Photo: Courtesy
The Ein Gedi bottled mineral water company has informed the Health Ministry that
it suspects the presence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria in some of its
products.
The two-liter bottles sold in six packs were listed with the
production dates of August 1, 2 and 3, 2012, and the expiration dates August 1,
2 and 3, 2013.
The company said such bottles should be returned unused to
the store where purchased.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a common bacterium
that can cause disease in animals and humans. It is found in soil and water and
on the skin, as well as in most man-made environments in the world. It thrives
in normal atmospheres as well as those with low levels of oxygen, and has thus
colonized many natural and artificial environments.
Ten percent of all
hospital-acquired infections are due to the bacteria.
The suspected levels
of bacteria present no health danger to anyone with a healthy immune system, the
ministry said, but in people with weak immune systems due to chronic diseases,
“it could theoretically cause illness that is not
life-threatening.”
Whoever drank from such bottles does not need to visit
a doctor unless he suffers from symptoms such as fever or
gastrointestinal illness.
The Ein Gedi company may be contacted for
queries at 1 - 8 0 0 - 7 0 1 - 701.
Despite ministry reassurances, a
class action lawsuit was filed at the Haifa District Court on Wednesday against
the company, demanding NIS 18,000 for anyone who bought Ein Gedi bottled water
between August 1 and 3. The suit was filed by attorney Eitan Peleg, who
specializes in such cases, on behalf of a 72-year-old woman who drinks the
mineral water on a regular basis.
The woman said she believed the company’s claims that its products were “beneficial for health” and were bottled
without human contact and with strict quality control.
After hearing that
the bottles allegedly contained bacteria, she said she felt a “feeling of
disgust.” Her lawyer said the company did not inform the public immediately
about its “suspicions,” but they became known only through the news media.