Daily Harvest identifies culprit ingredient in recalled lentils that made more than 400 people ill and left some hospitalized

• The CEO of Daily Harvest identified the ingredient in a dish that made hundreds of people sick.
• Rachel Drori said tara flour used in the company's French Lentil + Leek Crumbles was to blame.

Daily Harvest on Tuesday identified the ingredient in its recalled French Lentil + Leek Crumbles dish that the company said was responsible for making hundreds of people sick earlier this year.

The meal delivery service's CEO Rachel Drori posted an update on the company's investigation this week saying an extensive probe ultimately found that tara flour was to blame for reports of mass illness among consumers. Drori said the company used tara flour for the first and only time in its lentil and leek crumbles and had stopped sourcing from the tara flour producer.

The flour is made from the tara tree seed and can be used as a thickening agent in certain vegan dishes.

Drori said data from testing sequencing over the past four weeks, as well as consumer reports and medical records have all indicated that the issue is isolated to the lentils meal.

"We are confident that we continue to uphold the highest standards for quality and safety," Drori wrote. "You can safely enjoy the rest of our 140+ items with confidence."

More than 450 people 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 voluntary product recall and an investigation by the Food and Drug Administration.

In the weeks since, more than 220 people have retained legal counsel to pursue claims against Daily Harvest related to the illnesses, according to attorneys. The FDA said 96 people were hospitalized.

Several people had to have significant surgeries and tests conducted, including gallbladder removals and liver biopsies.

Started in 2015 by Drori, Daily Harvest bills itself as a delivery service for healthy, whole-food alternatives to processed convenience food. The company was valued at $1.1 billion last year and has racked up a slew of high-profile wellness enthusiasts, including several influencers and celebrities.

The company was known for forging relationships with content creators — many of whom were among the first to fall ill after eating the lentils.

Insider spoke to two influencers earlier this month who fell ill after eating the lentils. Luke Pearson, a 30-year-old vegan wellness influencer had his gallbladder removed after a string of inconclusive doctor visits. Pearson said he noticed symptoms such as dark urine, itching, ongoing fever, and jaundice after eating the meal.

A spokesperson for Daily Harvest previously said in a July 8 statement to Insider that it was unable to comment on "pending or potential litigation," but said the company "immediately took action and launched a voluntary recall" of the crumbles as soon as it identified the "possible link" between the product and "an adverse reaction."

In her Tuesday post, Drori said she wanted to personally apologize to anyone who was "impacted" by the recall, and said the company is "working with those who experienced adverse reactions to help them."