Soylent halts production of powder mix after it made some customers stomach sick

Weeks after recalling meal replacement bars that made some customers sick, Soylent has now halted production of its powder drink mix over similar reports.

The U.S.-based company says it discovered the problem with its Powder 1.6 meal replacement while investigating why its Soylent Bars made some customers violently ill.

"During our review, we noticed that a handful of consumers (less than 0.1%) who consumed Powder 1.6 over the past several months reported stomach-related symptoms that are consistent with what our Bar customers described," the company said in a blog post.

After an "exhaustive industry search," Soylent said all its products have tested negative for food pathogens, toxins or outside contamination.

The company is now investigating whether one of the ingredients "might be triggering a food intolerance," noting that would explain why only some people are affected.

None of Soylent's products are allergen free.

Soylent says it will examine the common ingredients in the bars and powder. Revised versions of both products are expected to hit shelves in 2017.

The company said there have been no reported illnesses associated with its flagship product, Soylent Drink, or its caffeinated beverage Coffiest.

"We value our customers' safety and satisfaction with our products above all else and we apologize again to any customer who had a bad experience," Soylent said.