The quote seems to be a bit more than callous and certainly inflammatory. Who does your media training – a rock?

FAST COMPANY – BY AMY FARLEY AND ELIZABETH SEGRAN

The CEO speaks for the first time about the tara flour that sickened hundreds, led to lawsuits, and revealed big problems in U.S. food safety.

The emails first came in a trickle, then an avalanche. Last summer, Rachel Drori, founder and CEO of the vegan food-subscription company Daily Harvest, fielded 470 messages from customers describing the horrific symptoms they experienced after eating the brand’s latest product, French Lentil + Leek Crumbles—a kind of ground-beef substitute that the company began rolling out in April 2022. “Toss in a tortilla. Crumble on top of a flatbread. Serve in a lettuce wrap,” Daily Harvest had urged subscribers who received the roughly 28,000packages of Crumbles the company shipped out.

In New Orleans, James Puissegur developed extreme abdominal pain that lasted a week. In Napa Valley, Tyler Street developed muscle and joint pain, mental fogginess, and yellowness in his eyes, before bloodwork found he had liver dysfunction. In upstate New York, Breanne Peni experienced fever and nausea that took her to the emergency room; doctors determined she required surgery to remove her gallbladder. 

These customers weren’t alone: In total, according to an October report from an organization advising the Food and Drug Administration, 393 people reported adverse reactions to the Crumbles and 133 people ended up in hospitals. Many of them experienced “symptoms consistent with toxin poisoning, directly impacting the liver,” according to the report. Thirty-nine of the sickened people have had their gallbladders removed. Many were young and health-conscious—exactly the kind of customer Daily Harvest appeals to with its plant-based smoothies and harvest bowls. “We’re committed to a better food system, one that prioritizes human and planetary health,” the company promises on its website. 

Read the full story: https://www.fastcompany.com/90908456/daily-harvest-food-startup-toxic-tara-flour-recall