ROUND LAKE - Death Wish Coffee is recalling its Nitro Cold Brew because there is a slight risk of Clostridium botulinum (C. botulinum) or botulism, a serious toxin that causes weakness of the muscles and difficulty breathing.

"Our customers' safety is of paramount importance and Death Wish Coffee is taking this significant, proactive step to ensure that the highest quality, safest, and of course, strongest coffee products we produce are of industry-exceeding standards – thus we are taking this measure of recalling all Death Wish Nitro cans from shelves," said Mike Brown, founder/owner of Death Wish Coffee Co., which is based in Round Lake.

The coffee is being pulled from shelves at Price Chopper/Market 32, Healthy Living Market & Café, and independent retailers at the behest of Death Wish Coffee.

The company said consumers who have purchased Death Wish Nitro Cold Brew should not consume it and can either dispose of it or return the product to the location with proof of purchase for a full refund.

"We have also gone a step further, to make sure that everyone who purchased the product on deathwishcoffee.com will receive a full refund within 60 days," Brown said. "We apologize for the inconvenience this may cause our customers and our retail partners, but we believe this is the right precautionary measure to take."

Tests have shown that Nitro Cold Brew has not suffered degradation in quality or shelf stability and no illnesses have been reported. But Brown noted that the processing of nitrogen-infused coffee is a fairly new process with few federal standards and regulations through the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Death Wish added it intends to exceed industry standards as it relates to nitrogen-based products, thus halting production of Death Wish Nitro until this additional step in the manufacturing process is implemented. The company has passed all FDA and state inspections since its founding.

According to the Center for Disease Control, C. botulinum or botulism is a rare but serious illness caused by a toxin that attacks the body's nerves. Symptoms of botulism usually start with weakness of the muscles that control the eyes, face, mouth, and throat. This weakness may spread to the neck, arms, torso, and legs. Botulism also can weaken the muscles involved in breathing, which can lead to difficulty breathing and even death.

Death Wish Coffee Co., which was founded in 2013 and markets itself as producing the "World's Strongest Coffee," competed with 15,000 other companies to win a a free, $5 million, 30-second commercial during the 2016 Super Bowl.

More information can be found online at DeathWishCoffee.com/Recall.