Consumerist: castleberrys

Stephen Colbert Weighs In On Botulism, Chinese Poison Train, Subprime Lending

Meg Marco — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 12:49:36 EDT

Who's reading us now? Stephen Colbert weighs in on a bunch of Consumerist topics with more gravitas than we can muster ourselves. Sorry we missed the whole "dentist puts boar tusks in your mouth while you're anesthetized" story. We'll try to do better next time.

Enjoy.

Comedy Central

Walmart Sells Can Included In Botulism Recall

Meg Marco — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 10:45:59 EDT

An article from the Hattiesburg American claims a Mississippi women bought a recalled can of hot dog chili sauce (the same product that has sickened 4 people with botulism) at a Walmart after the recall had been announced on July 19th, but before it had been widely publicized in the newspapers.

From the Associated Press:

Eva Fountain, 61, says she shared a potentially bad can of the Castleberry's Food chili sauce with her husband and two grandchildren.
Fountain told The Sun Herald newspaper on Wednesday that she called the company and it confirmed the can she purchased at the D'Iberville Wal-Mart was part of the recall.

Fountain said that as of late Wednesday, no one in her family had shown any symptoms of botulism.

Castleberry recalled its products after four people became ill after eating their hot dog chili sauce, which Fountain also ate.
A Wal-Mart spokesman said the products have been pulled from the shelves.

Fountain said she purchased the can last week before the recall was widely publicized and left for a camping trip before she heard about the recall.

The issue this story brings to mind (other than Walmart's recall issues) is the fact that someone like Ms. Fountain probably relies pretty heavily on print newspapers or TV news to learn about recalls and, let's face it, TV doesn't offer as much information as a website that contains a full list of recalled products.

That's why it's up to the Consumerist readers to watch out for people who are not as well-informed. If you see recalled products on store shelves, say something! Tell us! Send a cameraphone photo to tips [at] consumerist [dot] com.

Coast woman claims she bought potentially botulism-tainted chili sauce [Hattiesburg American via Writing on the Wal]

(Photo:Stopnlook)

Hey, Let's Not Die Of Botulism From Eating Recalled Food

Meg Marco — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 15:59:26 EDT

A reader who works at a health department has asked Consumerist to remind everyone to search their cabinets, their friend's cabinets, the cabinets at their church and the cabinets of any kitchens at work for products included in the botulism recall.

Here's a list of the recalled products.

When you find a can—Don't just throw it away. Double bag it. Bacteria in the cans cause them to swell and break open and you can breathe the toxin and get sick.

Here are the symptoms of botulism.

Thanks for not dying of botulism! Dead people can't read blogs, ya know.

Cans Infected With Botulism Are Exploding!

Meg Marco — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 09:58:42 EDT

Remember the botulism recall? The infected cans are now exploding, according to the FDA.

Why is this bad? Well, you can contract botulism from breathing the spores.

From the Boston Globe:

Spot checks by the Food and Drug Administration and state officials are turning up recalled products for sale in convenience stores, gas stations and family-run groceries.

The FDA has found recalled products for sale in roughly 250 of the more than 3,700 stores visited in nationwide checks, according to figures the agency provided to The Associated Press.

Four people have been sickened and hospitalized by the contaminated food, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The recall covers potentially tens of millions of cans of food; officials fear the tally will grow.

FDA investigators believe Castleberry Food failed to properly cook some or all the products, allowing the Clostridium botulinum bacteria to survive the canning process.

The bacteria produce a toxin that causes botulism, a muscle-paralyzing disease.

"We're not talking here about a bug that lands you in the bathroom for a few days with diarrhea. We're talking about a toxin that puts you in the intensive care unit," said Dr. David Acheson, the FDA's lead food safety expert. "This is foodborne illness with an extra kick in it, big time."

The fact that cans filled with botulism are still on the shelf waiting to explode is not good. Quite a lot of food is affected, so you'll need to check the recall site to determine if you have any of it at home.

Here's what you can do:

1) If you have any of the recalled products at home, double bag them and throw them away. If they explode, you could inhale botulism. You do not want this.

2) If you see any of the recalled products, please inform the store about the recall.

They're having trouble getting the word out about this recall, so tell a friend about it ask them to check their cupboards.

Castleberry's Recall Information
Botulism Disposal Instructions From The CDC
Bursting cans give new urgency to warnings about botulism [Boston Globe] (Thanks, everyone who sent this in!)

Recalls: Dog Food and Chili Recalled From Same Manufacturer

ashley — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 12:59:37 EDT

We've always had the sneaking suspicion that canned chili and dog food were one and the same. Adding fuel to that fire, Connors Bros and Castleberry's expanded a recall of their pet and human foods after the canned meat products were found to contain botulism. The FDA has announced that four people have already taken ill. Here's hoping they were eating the chili, and not the dog food.

A complete list of recalled products is here.

Connors Bros. Shares Drop on Expanded Recall Linked to Botulism [Bloomberg]