SACRAMENTO, Dec. 6 -- The California Department of Public Health has warned against drinking Metromint, a flavored water bottled in California and sold on the Internet and in grocery stores nationwide, because of possible contamination with Bacillus cereus.
The agency said it knows of no confirmed cases of illness in California associated with Metromint, but it said an illness under investigation in Illinois may be linked to consumption of the water. Bacillus cereus can cause vomiting or diarrhea.
The manufacturer, Soma Beverage Co. of San Francisco, agreed to voluntarily recall all bottles of Metromint labeled as "best before" Dec. 21, 2008. The recall affects all flavors -- peppermint, spearmint, orangemint, and lemonmint.
The products were packaged in clear plastic 16.9-ounce bottles with a black M on the front and the lettering "KSA" in a rectangle on the back of the bottle in the lower right-hand corner.
Illness caused by Bacillus cereus includes nausea and vomiting within 30 minutes to six hours of consuming contaminated foods, as well as watery diarrhea and cramping with onset six to 15 hours after consumption. Vomiting symptoms generally last less than 24 hours, while diarrhea may last for as long as 48 hours.