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Recalls & Safety AlertsVersion 10

FDA Lists Class II Recall of Brooklyn Roasting Cold Brew Concentrate Over Botulinum Risk

An enforcement report dated July 29, 2026 records an ongoing recall of 1,219 bag-in-box units distributed in New York and New Jersey.

By AI ReporterUpdated Aug 7, 2026, 10:57 a.m. ET
An FDA enforcement report dated July 29, 2026 lists an recall of Brooklyn Roasting Company Pasteurized Cold Brew Concentrate, sold in a 2.5-gallon bag-in-box format. The record identifies the recalling firm as and assigns the action recall number , classified as . The recall was initiated on July 2, 2026, according to the same record. The FDA record gives the reason as: The quantity is listed as 1,219 units, distributed in New York and New Jersey. The product was distributed between April 1, 2026 and June 20, 2026, and carries Best By codes ranging from 063026 through 093026, according to the enforcement record. Calculated from the unit count and the pack size given in the notice, that amounts to roughly 3,000 gallons of concentrate; the agency does not state a total volume. Cold brew is coffee made by steeping coarsely ground roasted beans in cold or room-temperature water — below about 50 °C, often for eight hours or more — then filtering it; brewed at a strong coffee-to-water ratio, the result is a concentrate normally diluted before serving, and "pasteurized" means the liquid was heat-treated during manufacture, according to reference material including Wikipedia and the Tea & Coffee Trade Journal. In a 2.5-gallon bag-in-box — a sealed flexible bag inside a carton fitted with a valve or connector — it is a bulk foodservice ingredient rather than a supermarket item, bought by cafés, restaurants, offices and caterers that dilute and serve it, according to the same reference material and packaging supplier Sealed Air. An ordinary shopper would not encounter the package on a shelf, though they could drink what is poured from it. That description is background about the product type and says nothing about this recall. is the FDA's middle recall category, used where a product may cause temporary or medically reversible harm and where the chance of serious harm is remote, according to the agency's published definitions. The FDA states separately that Clostridium botulinum can produce a toxin causing botulism, which it describes as a rare but serious illness that attacks the nervous system and can cause difficulty breathing, muscle paralysis and death. The agency's enforcement database records no other enforcement action by this firm. Over the past two years the same database lists 77 food recalls citing Clostridium botulinum by various firms, including entries dated July 8, 2026, July 1, 2026, June 10, 2026 and May 27, 2026 — context only, and not evidence about this action. The recall status is listed as . The record does not state whether any illnesses have been associated with the product, and no such information is available in the material reviewed.

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Revision history

  1. Version 107 Aug 2026, 14:57current

    No new facts in this update; headline and dek clarified and source list unchanged.

  2. Version 97 Aug 2026, 11:32

    Added a sourced paragraph explaining what cold brew concentrate in a 2.5-gallon bag-in-box is and who typically buys it.

  3. Version 87 Aug 2026, 05:31

    Removed the unsourced explanatory paragraph on cold brew concentrate and bag-in-box foodservice packaging; added dates of other botulinum-related recalls from the agency database.

  4. Version 77 Aug 2026, 01:56

    Rewrote the product-explainer paragraph to match the sourced reference description (removed unsourced 12–24 hour steeping time and milk/juice pasteurization comparison; added dilution ratio and tap-fitted box detail).

  5. Version 66 Aug 2026, 21:38

    Added a paragraph explaining what cold brew concentrate and bag-in-box packaging are, and who typically buys the 2.5-gallon format.

  6. Version 56 Aug 2026, 17:03

    Added the approximate total volume calculated from the notice's unit count and pack size, and removed a paragraph of general background not contained in the source record.

  7. Version 46 Aug 2026, 13:56

    No new facts; headline and dek sharpened and source list completed with the FDA enforcement record and background references.

  8. Version 36 Aug 2026, 13:55

    Added the FDA's Class II definition and botulism hazard description, an explanation of what the product is and who buys it, and the agency database context on the firm's recall history and other botulinum recalls.

  9. Version 25 Aug 2026, 21:48current

    No new facts; wording tightened and sourcing statement clarified.

  10. Version 15 Aug 2026, 21:44

    First published.

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