Recall alert: Dollarama-sold garlic powder can cause diarrhea, vomiting

The recall was issued due to traces of Bacillus cereus in the spice, a pathogen which can make you sick.

This probably isn’t the secret spice your recipes call for. A recall has been issued for Heavenly Spices Garlic Powder, sold at Dollaramas across Canada. The spice comes in a 70-gram shaker container, with a Universal Product Code of 6 67888 50634 7, and a best before code listed as BB: 2029 JAN 30 GP 30ZV PIT.

If you have this spice in your pantry or on your spice rack, officials are advising you not to use, sell, serve or distribute the spice. Discard of it immediately. It is unknown how many containers of the spice were sold across the country, or how many people have reported illnesses.

The recall is classified as a Class 2, which means “there is a moderate risk that consuming the food may lead to short-term or non-life-threatening health problems.” According to the B.C. Centre for Disease Control, bacillus cereus is a food-borne pathogen that can produce toxins causing gastrointestinal illness. If the toxin is produced before consumption, you will likely vomit (emetic syndrome) and if the toxin is produced after being consumed, you could experience diarrhea (diarrheal syndrome).

Nausea and abdominal pain may also be possible. Those who experience emetic syndrome could see symptoms start anywhere from 30 minutes to five hours after eating the contaminated food, with symptoms clearing as early as six hours or as late as 24 hours after onset. Those who experience diarrheal syndrome will usually start seeing symptoms between eight to 16 hours after eating, with symptoms disappearing anywhere between 12 to 24 hours later.