More info:
FDA Warns Consumers about Risk of Botulism Poisoning from
Hot Dog Chili Sauce Marketed Under a Variety of Brand Names
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning consumers not to eat 10 ounce cans of Castleberry’s Hot Dog Chili Sauce (UPC 3030000101), Austex Hot Dog Chili Sauce (UPC 3030099533), and Kroger Hot Dog Chili Sauce (UPC 1111083942) with “best by” dates from April 30, 2009 through May 22, 2009 due to possible botulism contamination. Botulism can be fatal. The “best by dates” can be found on the can lids.
Consumers who have any of these products or any foods made with these products should throw them away immediately. If the “best by” date is missing or unreadable consumers should throw the product out.
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.
FDA will provide updates as more information becomes available. Consumers can call the FDA at 1-888-SAFEFOOD.
Castleberry recommends consumers with any questions or concerns about this recall should contact Jamie Leicht of Fleishman Hillard at (858) 735-9135.
http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2007/NEW01669.html
OMG, I have ALL those symptoms, and I ate some of that stuff within the past few weeks.
And I thought it was because of all the beer I drank (grin). Actually, this isn’t funny.
My homegrown tomatoes and green beans look better every day, and next year, that deer at my feeder is going into my freezer. I’ve already caught the deer eating my green beans through my fenced garden (they have nibbled off everthing sticking outside the fence), I’m mad at the deer over this. I feed them corn and they stick their heads through the fence and eat my green beans.
Seriously, I’m thinking about raising all my own food, including chickens. My husband will FREAK when I bring home some chicks from the coop, but he’ll get over it.