More products recalled in botulism scare

Concerns in the U.S. over cans of chilli contaminated by a bacteria which causes botulism, which prompted a recall of the products, has now been extended to include chilli, beef stew and other canned meat products, as well as four pet food products.

Every product manufactured on a specific production line in the past two years has been recalled by the company Castleberry in response to concern about contamination.

The company says the products are sold in more than 17,000 stores nationwide and in Canada.

The recall which began last week was initiated when two children in Texas and an Indiana couple became ill after eating the hot dog chilli products; all four had consumed Hot Dog Chilli Sauce Original, a product made by Castleberry's.

The contamination is believed to be isolated to a U.S. plant in Augusta, Geogia which has now been shut down.

The company closed its production facility in Augusta after 16 cans of chilli sauce tested positive over the weekend for the bacteria that causes botulism.

Castleberry has organised for more than 8,500 retailers around the country to remove the suspect products from store shelves immediately and has extended the voluntary recall of canned meat products to include more than 80 types of canned chilli, beef stew, corned beef hash and other meat products in addition to the 10 brands already recalled.

The company is working closely with the Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Agriculture in order to determine the extent of the problem and have stopped all further product distribution from their centers.

Although botulism is rare, it is a serious and potentially fatal illness caused by eating food containing the botulism toxin; as a rule commercially canned foods are subjected to a heat process which kills the spores.

The nerve toxin if untreated can cause paralysis of the arms, breathing muscles and legs and symptoms can take as long as 36 hours to manifest themselves; they include drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, dry mouth, and muscle weakness.

The company has extended the recall to other products as a precaution because other products were also canned using the same equipment.

The company has advised consumers to dispose of any questionable goods from Castleberry's in doubled plastic bags; full refunds can be accessed by calling the company.

Castleberry has posted all the recalled products on its web site and has set up a consumer hotline: 800-203-4412.