#Daily harvest gifts skin

She made them in tacos and said she noticed her throat felt tight after eating.

Stuart tried the crumbles again on June 16. They hypothesized it was from the cooking oil or something else they ate. Later that day, both Stuart and her girlfriend experienced stomach pain. She made them and tagged Daily Harvest in her Instagram story. The next day, on May 21, she tried them again at home. Stuart and her girlfriend took home a Daily Harvest gift card and more of the crumbles. 'Influencers had the first taste,' she said. Only influencers had been invited to the May 20 event as a preview before members of the general public were invited to try the crumbles following days, Stuart recalled. Stuart ate them, thinking at the time the tacos tasted overwhelmingly like cilantro but were otherwise fine. The event was a showcase for Daily Harvest's new French Lentil + Leek Crumbles, which at the event were prepared inside tacos. It was the first time she'd heard of the brand, but she felt its mission was aligned with her content, which often features dairy- and gluten-free foods. Stuart, who posts videos about food and home decor, accepted and went to the event in Venice with her girlfriend. Since his surgery, Pearson has retained an attorney, and has posted on social media about his experience, along with other influencers.Īshley Stuart, a 27-year-old model in California who has more than 27,000 TikTok followers, said Daily Harvest invited her to come to a pop up event for influencers in May. But now, some of the same type of influencers the company once courted are speaking out against it.Ĭourtesy of Ashley Stuart Influencers who say they fell ill after eating Daily Harvest's lentil crumbles shared their experiences on social media The company, a vegan meal service valued at $1.1 billion last year that delivers smoothies and plant-based meals, built its reputation using influencers and celebrities to market its health-focused products directly to consumers. Niket Sonpal, a board-certified gastroenterologist in New York.Ĭase studies document serious, rapid-onset symptoms including liver failure from food poisoning.Īfter hearing of people who also ate the lentil crumbles with similar symptoms, Pearson said he and his medical team now believe contaminated food was the cause of his symptoms. Pearson said two weeks after he tried the Daily Harvest Lentils, he had his gallbladder removed to prevent further liver problems.Ĭertain toxins can cause acute symptoms within hours of eating contaminated food, even once, according to Dr. Doctors suspected a gallstone had caused the elevated liver enzymes. At the time, neither Pearson nor his medical team had connected the symptoms to possible foodborne illness.

#Daily harvest gifts skin

He said he eventually developed jaundice - yellowing of the skin and eyes, suggestive of serious liver issues - that prompted a visit to the emergency room that lasted 26 hours and involved more tests, according to a lawsuit. Pearson also noted symptoms like dark urine, itching, and ongoing fever. This time the symptoms worsened, with full-body aches, fever, chills, and 'pain so intense' he couldn't stand on his own.Ī string of doctor visits and test results seen by Insider showed he had elevated liver enzyme levels, but no indication of what might be the cause.

Not knowing what caused his illness, Pearson tried the crumbles again about a week later. Prior to the incident, he said he ate a plant-based diet, worked out five days a week, and avoided processed foods and alcohol. But he never got around to posting the videos – shortly after finishing the meal, he developed stomach pain like nothing he'd ever experienced before, he told Insider in an email. Pearson said he received a PR package from the meal delivery service in April containing the lentils, and filmed clips of himself preparing and trying the product for the first time. Luke Pearson, a 30-year-old vegan wellness influencer, is one of them. More than 220 people have retained legal counsel to pursue claims against Daily Harvest related to the illnesses, according to attorneys. Hundreds of people have reported illness, and, in some cases, hospitalizations and organ damage, after eating Daily Harvest's French Lentil + Leek Crumbles from April to June, prompting a product recall and an investigation by the Food and Drug Administration. The company is now facing legal claims, and a wave of social media backlash. Daily Harvest, a meal delivery service, wooed wellness influencers to build its brand on healthy eating.īut influencers are speaking out against the company after a product was linked to illnesses, hospitalizations.