FDA Issues Botulism Alert

Be wary of any 10-ounce cans of hot dog chili sauce in your kitchen cabinets bearing Castleberry, Austex and Kroger brands.

Some of these may be contaminated with botulism.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers not to eat any Castleberry chili sauce from cans bearing the barcode (UPC 3030000101). The same holds true for Austex Hot Dog Chili Sauce (UPC 3030099533), and Kroger Hot Dog Chili Sauce (UPC 1111083942). Any of these products bearing the “best by” dates of April 30, 2009 through May 22, 2009 may be contaminated with botulism.

The “best by” dates can be found on the can lids.

The FDA urges everyone with these products or foods made with them to dispose of them immediately. As an added precaution, consumers also should throw away any such chili products with these company labels and barcodes in cases where the “best by” dates aren’t visible.

Botulism can be fatal, the agency warns.

Two children in Texas and an Indiana couple who ate these products became seriously ill and have been hospitalized.

Symptoms of botulism poisoning can begin from 6 hours to 2 weeks after eating food that contains the toxin. Symptoms may include double vision, blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, dry mouth, and muscle weakness that moves progressively down the body, affecting the shoulders first then descending to the upper arms, lower arms, thighs, calves, etc. Botulism poisoning can also cause paralysis of the breathing muscles which can result in death unless assistance with breathing (mechanical ventilation) is provided.

Individuals who show these symptoms and who may have recently eaten Castleberry’s Hot Dog Chili Sauce, Austex Hot Dog Chili Sauce, or Kroger Hot Dog Chili Sauce should seek immediate medical attention.

All of the above products are manufactured by the Castleberry Food Company in Augusta, Georgia.

Castleberry has informed FDA that it is voluntarily recalling all of the potentially contaminated products and is cooperating with FDA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the states’ active investigations into the cause of this contamination and scope of the products’ distribution.

Castleberry is also voluntarily recalling a numbr of products that are not under FDA’s regulatory authority. For a list of these products, visit: www.castleberrys.com/news_productrecall.asp.

FDA will provide updates as more information becomes available. Consumers can call the FDA at 1-888-723-3366.

Castleberry recommends consumers with any questions or concerns about this recall should go to Castleberry’s website (www.castleberrys.com) or call Castleberry’s consumer hotline at 1-888-203-8446.

Castleberry’s Press Release:

www.castleberrys.com/news_pressRelease0718.asp

CDC Information on the Botulism Outbreak:

www.cdc.gov/botulism/botulism.htm

Posted by Jim Langcuster at July 19, 2007 04:43 PM