Over 150 consumers have joined a class action lawsuit against the manufacturer of Bonsoy, the soy milk that was recalled last year after tests showed it contained alarmingly high levels of iodine.
Bonsoy voluntarily initiated the worldwide recall in December, after tests showed that a single glass of the milk contained seven times the safe dose of iodine. That figure was 1,000 times higher than similar brands of soy milk.
Roger Hodgson, an attorney for the plaintiffs, told ABC Melbourne that his clients suffered severe medical side effects after drinking the milk, including serious thyroid problems.
"So far, 300-odd people have expressed interest and the 155 people have signed up to the class action, and we believe that's potentially the tip of the iceberg," Hodgson said. "The knowledge about this product's dangers was not widely promulgated."
Hodgson also told reporters that several "women have had miscarriages or babies with abnormalities," and that a number of class members will need to take medication for the rest of their lives.
"I couldn't get my breath"
Shannon Cotterill, one of the class members, told ABC that she became gravely ill after drinking as much as half a liter of Bonsoy every day for over four years.
"I was hot, sweaty, tired," Cotterill said. "I was completely irrational, I was angry. Everything made me really angry. I couldn't walk, I was throwing up. I was trying to breastfeed my baby while I was throwing up and I just ... I couldn't get my breath."
Spiral Foods, Bonsoy's Australian distributor, said in a statement posted to Bonsoy's website that "Spiral Foods was alerted to the [class] action by the media, but has not yet seen the documents presented to the Court in relation to the action.
"Spiral Foods can reassure customers and suppliers that products that are currently in the Australian market have been thoroughly tested and approved by Australia's highest food body," the statement said.
The lawsuit says that Bonsoy was negligent in failing to properly test the milk before putting it on the market. The plaintiffs are seeking damages for medical expenses, lost income, and pain and suffering.
Cotterill told ABC that the experience has made her think twice when shopping at the grocery store.
"[I'm] really angry that every time I go into the shops now I put things into my trolley and think -- just like everyone else -- you're putting things in your trolley trusting that you can go home and consume it and it could have been anyone and who is responsible?"
