There are certain companies in the United States that should be viewed as true success stories. They come out with innovative products, they penetrate new markets and they earn a level of branding that leads people to attach positive connotations to whatever product accompanies their logo. One of those companies is Herbalife, which has been growing steadily even during these turbulent economic times. This is not an accident, as the company provides a wealth of different health-related products to consumers who are trying to better their overall lifestyles.
According to an article that recently appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Herbalife reported a 12-percent increase in its earnings during the fourth quarter of 2012. This profitable quarter prompted the company to raise its profit projections for 2013. In short, the company has been doing well on many levels, and its brand is one that would likely endure even some rough times.
Unfortunately for Herbalife and possibly for some consumers, all it takes is one product recall to badly damage a brand that has been built up for years on the efforts of talented and hard-working people. While it’s too early to say what will happen, Herbalife has announced that it is recalling different lots of its Instant Healthy Meal Nutritional Shake Mix packets because of a labeling mistake. The label says that the product is free from dairy, but the mix actually contains what is described as ‘trace amounts’ of milk proteins.
The lots at issue were distributed in the United States between January 16 and February 16 of this year, and the lot numbers included 133405G10, 133408G10, and 133409G10. Herbalife sells its product through independent distributors, and the company stated that it was in the process of contacting those distributors to alert them of the recall. To date, no reports of illness or injury have been filed, although there is concern with regards to the potential allergic reactions in people who unwittingly consume these milk proteins.
Milk and dairy allergies are serious conditions, and people who suffer from them need to take every step possible to make sure that they do not eat any of these things. Even small amounts of dairy being ingested by someone who is allergic to it can lead to immediate and extreme illness, and in some cases people have lost their lives due to these allergic reactions. Anyone who has purchased any of these products is asked to avoid using them and to return them to the place of purchase.
Hopefully this mistake was caught quickly enough that no one will be hurt, and hopefully for Herbalife this problem will not stain their brand. Unfortunately, many people are injured as a result of consuming food that is either not manufactured properly or not labeled properly, and those that have suffered in this manner need help. If this includes you, contact the California defective products lawyers at the Demas Law Group today to schedule a free initial consultation.
