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Thursday August 3 4:12 PM ET

Slim-Fast to Recall 2 Million Milk-Based Shakes

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (Reuters) - Slim-Fast Foods Co. on Thursday said it will voluntarily recall more than 2 million cans of its milk-based liquid shakes, saying they may present a low risk of temporary gastrointestinal sickness and should not be consumed.

Slim-Fast is instituting the nationwide recall of the 11-ounce cans with the Food and Drug Administration and has notified all affected distributors and retail customers, the company said.

A Slim-Fast spokesman said that the domestic recall, which includes a small number of shakes sold to the U.S. military, is not concentrated in any one region of the country. All of the cans, which are being pulled off shelves due to a ''manufacturing problem,'' were made at Slim-Fast's Huntington, Tenn. plant.

Steps have been taken to guard against another recall, he said.

Five consumers had reported temporary gastrointestinal symptoms, but the company added that the risk of serious illness is remote. The cause of the problem is under investigation.

The company said that only a number of the dietary shakes with certain codes will be recalled, including such flavors as Cappuccino Delight , Creamy Milk Chocolate and Strawberries 'N Cream.

Presently, the spokesman did not have a cost figure on the pullback.

``Our primary concern is always for the health of our consumers who rely on the Slim-Fast brand to meet their dietary and nutritional needs,'' said Marc Covent, president of Slim-Fast, a brand of Anglo-Dutch consumer products giant Unilever Plc (ULVR.L). The following is list of affected product codes:

ETCD0138E Cappuccino Delight

ETCD0142E Cappuccino Delight

ETMC0125E Creamy Milk Chocolate

ETMC0138E Creamy Milk Chocolate

ETMC0142E Creamy Milk Chocolate

ETAS0125E Strawberries 'N Cream

ETAS0140E Strawberries 'N Cream

ETAS0141E Strawberries 'N Cream

-- Rachel Gibson (rgibson@hotmail.com), August 04, 2000

Answers

Thank you very much for this article Rachel.

I almost bought some of this last week since I like to drink it in the morning before my workout. The Stawberry one is my favorite.

I've noticed a lot of recalls of different products lately.

-- (Dee360Degree@aol.com), August 04, 2000.

You're welcome, Dee. Of course, these products are all foreign to me, but I'm watching for articles about food contamination where processing is involved. I've seen many, from several countries, in the past seven months.

-- Rachel Gibson (rgibson@hotmail.com), August 04, 2000.