Hot dog chili sauce recall, botulism?

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 09:15:48 GMT

Hot dog chili sauce sickens 4 and leads to botulism recall

By Andrew Bridges, Associated Press, StarTribune.com

Last update: July 18, 2007 – 8:29 PM

WASHINGTON — Federal health officials warned consumers Wednesday to throw away certain cans of hot dog chili sauce after the product was linked to botulism that has sent four people to the hospital.

The warning applies to 10-ounce cans of Castleberry's, Austex and Kroger brands of hot dog chili sauce with "best by" dates from April 30, 2009, through May 22, 2009, the Food and Drug Administration said. It wasn't immediately clear how widely the products were distributed.

The contamination by the toxin is extremely rare for a commercially canned product. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention medical epidemiologist Dr. Michael Lynch said the last such U.S. case dates to the 1970s. The roughly 25 cases reported each year typically involved home-canned foods, Lynch said.

The four victims — two each in Texas and Indiana — are expected to survive. The Texas cases involve children who are siblings. The Indiana cases involve an adult couple. No other details were available.

The products were made by the Castleberry Food Co., owned by Bumble Bee Seafoods LLC. The company, based in San Diego, had no immediate comment.

FDA has sent experts to the Castleberry plant in Augusta, Ga., where the products were canned, said Robert Brackett, director of the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. The company is voluntarily recalling all potentially contaminated product and is cooperating with state and federal officials, Brackett added.

Botulism is a muscle-paralyzing disease caused by a toxin made by a bacterium called Clostridium botulinum, according to the CDC.

Brackett urged consumers to discard any of the recalled cans without opening them.

"The toxin is so potent if they get it on their hands or it sprays in their face, it could make them ill," he said.

Typically, commercially canned foods are heated long enough and to high enough temperatures to kill the spores.

"It's been a triumph of food safety that canning is safe. That's what makes this so unusual," Lynch said.

Symptoms of botulism include double or blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, dry mouth and muscle weakness that moves down the body, according to the CDC.

Eventually, paralysis can cause a person to stop breathing and die, unless supported by a ventilator. Most victims eventually recover after weeks to months of care.

The recall covers the following universal product codes:

—Castleberry's Hot Dog Chili Sauce (UPC 3030000101);

—Austex Hot Dog Chili Sauce (UPC 3030099533);

—Kroger Hot Dog Chili Sauce (UPC 1111083942).

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On the Net:

Castleberry Food Co.: http://www.castleberrys.com/

CDC botulism information: http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/botulism/index.asp

Sunday July 30, 2006

Mon, 31 Jul 2006 02:54:57 GMT

Today, Sunday, is a wonderful day! How is your day? Church was fabulous this morning. So refreshing and inspirational...finding peace! Exactly what I needed...after resigning and having a wonderful family to support me, I feel that my life has been redirected in a way that is very rewarding and fulfilling as a wife and mother. I am on my way to find this inner-peace! Enjoy your day and if you have time, read the book of Habakkuk.

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Hot dog chili sauce recall, botulism?

Hot dog chili sauce sickens 4 and leads to botulism recall

Sunday July 30, 2006