Castleberry Recalls Several Brands of Canned Chili, BBQ, Corned Beef Hash

Castleberry's Food Company issued a press release announcing the voluntary recall of the following products for possible botulism poisoning:

Castleberry's Hot Dog Chili Sauce, 10 oz can (UPC 3030000101)
Austex Hot Dog Chili Sauce, 10 oz can (UPC 3030099533)
Kroger Hot Dog Chili Sauce, 10 oz can (UPC 1111083942)
Morton House Corned Beef Hash, 15 oz can (UPC 7526665830)
Cattle Drive Chili with Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 3030001515)
Southern Home Corned Beef Hash, 15 oz can (UPC 0788015360)
Meijer Corned Beef Hash, 15 oz can (UPC 4125095229)
Castleberry's Chili with Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 3030001015)
Castleberry's Barbecue Pork, 10 oz can (UPC 3030000402)
Bunker Hill Chili No Beans, 10 oz can (UPC 7526604112)

Castleberry's Food Company says the recall only affects the products listed above with a "Best By" date of April 30, 2009 through May 22, 2009. The "best by" date can be found either on the top or the bottom of the can. Castleberry's has notified theU.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is fully cooperating with the FDA to investigate any further reports of illness. The FDA and Castleberry's Foods is expected to provide updates on the extent of the distribution of these products and the cause of the contamination.

Consumers who have these cans should either throw them away or return them to the store where the product was purchased for a full refund. Consumers with questions or concerns about any of the Castleberry's Food products and call the consumer hotline at 1-888-203-8446 or visit the company web site. Consumers SHOULD NOT EAT these products, even if they do not appear or smell spoiled. Consumers can also report illness to the FDA at 1-888-SAFEFOOD.

Castleberry's is also cooperating with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to investigate what cause the possible contamination of these products with a bacterium that causes botulism, known as Clostridium botulinum. Symptoms of botulism can begin to occur within 6 hours to 2 weeks after eating contaminated food. The toxins associated with botulism can be life-threatening. Botulism can cause muscle weakness that moves from the shoulders down the arms to thighs and calves. Botulism can cause paralysis of breathing muscles which can cause death.

Botulism can cause the following symptoms. If you have eaten these products and become ill, SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION IMMEDIATELY:
general weakness
dizziness
double vision
trouble speaking or swallowing
difficulty with breathing
weakness of muscles
abdominal distension
constipation
blurred vision
drooping eyelids
slurred speech

Castleberry's Food Company is located on Augusta,Georgia. Steve Mavity, Senior Vice President of Quality Assurance at Castleberry's Food Company said in the company press release that "We are taking this precautionary measure to ensure the safety of our consumers. We will continue to work closely with the FDA< USDA, and CDC."

Sources:

http://www.castleberrys.com/news_pressRelease0718.asp

http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2007/NEW01669.html