Georgia Firm Expands Recall of Canned Meat Products That May Contain Clostridium botulinum

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Laura Reiser

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Editors Note: The recall release was updated on August 2, 2007, to add UPC codes and clarify information for consumers.

WASHINGTON, July 21, 2007 – Castleberry’s Food Company, an Augusta, Ga., establishment owned by Bumble Bee Foods, LLC, is voluntarily expanding its July 19 recall of canned meat products that may contain Clostridium botulinum, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced today. 

The recall is being expanded after information gathered by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and FSIS indicated that processing malfunctions at the establishment have existed longer than initially estimated. For that reason, Castleberry’s has agreed to recall all of the following products that may still be in commerce, regardless of the “best buy” date stamped on the bottom of the can. Consumers who have any of these products or any foods made with these products should throw them away immediately. Double bag the cans in plastic bags that are tightly closed then place in a trash receptacle for non-recyclable trash outside of the home. Additional instructions for safe disposal can be found at www.cdc.gov/botulism/botulism_faq.htm

The following products are subject to recall:

Each can label or can end bears the establishment number "EST. 195" or "P-650" inside the USDA seal of inspection. The canned meat products were distributed nationwide, with the exception of Great Value chili products which were exported only to Canada. The problem was discovered during an investigation into illnesses in Indiana and Texas. The investigation led to a recall by FDA of three types of meatless hotdog chili sauce.  The FDA’s recall release can be found at www.fda.gov. That recall is also being expanded to include all meatless products produced at the plant that might still be in commerce.

On July 21, the FDA also issued an expanded recall for the following hot dog chili sauce products and Natural Balance Eatables dog food varieties:

Botulism is a rare but serious paralytic illness caused by a nerve toxin. Symptoms of botulism include double vision, blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, dry mouth, and muscle weakness. The illness can cause paralysis, respiratory failure and death. Symptoms usually occur from 18 to 36 hours after eating contaminated food. Anyone who is experiencing any of these symptoms should contact a physician. 

For additional information about botulism, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Web site at www.cdc.gov/botulism/botulism.htm.

Consumers with questions about the recall should contact company’s Consumer Hotline at
(888) 203-8446. Media with questions about the recall should contact the company public affairs representative Della Sweetman at (619) 200-0436 or Doug McGraw at (212) 453-2202.

Consumers with food safety questions can "Ask Karen," the FSIS virtual representative available 24 hours a day at AskKaren.gov. The toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) is available in English and Spanish and can be reached from l0 a.m. to 4 p.m. (E
astern Time) Monday through Friday. Recorded food safety messages are available 24 hours a day.