USDA Food Recall for Potential Botulism Contamination Expanded

Castlebury's Food Company has voluntarily expanded its food product recall for possible Clostridium Botulinum contamination

July 22, 2007

NORTH CAROLINA STATEWIDE NEWS -- The Castlebury's Food Company has voluntarily expanded its food product recall for possible Clostridium Botulinum contamination, a bacterium which causes Botulism. This expansion is for consumers and pet owners regarding canned food products and dog food. This is categorized as a Class I recall, defined as a health hazard situation where there is a reasonable probability that the use of this product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or even death by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service.

The Castleberry's Senior Vice President of, Technical Services and Quality Assurance Steve Mavity publically announced: "There is nothing more important to us than the health of those who use our products every day. We are taking every step necessary, and are working hand in hand with health officials around the clock to ensure the safety of consumers. We believe we have isolated the issue to a situation of under-processing on one line of our production facility. As an extra precaution to the recall we announced on Wednesday, we have shut down this line altogether and are recalling all products produced on it."

Botulism is a rare but serious paralytic illness caused by a nerve toxin that is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. 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 concerned about an illness should contact a physician.

On July 18, 2007, Castleberry's Food Company, owned by Bumble Bee Foods, LLC, located in Augusta, Georgia is voluntarily recalled 721,389 pounds of canned meat products. Yesterday, The Castlebury's Food Company decided to expand the food recall. The decision to expand the food recall was made after information gathered by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and U.S.D.A. Food Safety and Inspection Service indicated that the processing malfunctions at Castlebury's Food plant have existed longer than estimated. Therefore, Castleberry's will recall all of the products listed below that may still be in retail and wholesale distribution, regardless of the "best buy" date stamped on the bottom of the can. Consumers who have any of the products listed are urged not to eat them. Consumers should return or dispose of the products.

The problem regarding the equipment malfunction was discovered during an investigation into two illnesses in two states. The investigation began when two children in Texas and an Indiana couple who ate these products became seriously ill and had to be hospitalized. The investigation led to a recall by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of three types of meatless hotdog chili sauce. Then Castleberry's informed FDA that it would voluntarily recall all of the potentially contaminated food. The Castleberry's Food Company has been 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.

The potentially contaminated canned products were distributed to retail establishments in the following states: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

The expanded recall now includes the following canned products in the following sizes with all best by and code dates:

• Austex Onion Hot Dog Chili Sauce, 10 oz can (UPC 3030097101)
• Austex Hot Dog Chili Sauce, 10 oz can (UPC 3030099533)
• Austex Beef Stew, 15 oz can (UPC 3030090815)
• Austex Chili With Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 3030091015)
• Austex Chili With Beans, 19 oz can (UPC 3030092519)
• Austex Chili No Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 3030097715)
• Austex Chili No Beans, 19 oz can (UPC 3030097719)
• Best Yet Corned Beef Hash, 15 oz can (UPC 4217841082)
• Best Yet Chili With Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 4218740842)
• Big Y Chili No Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 1889480424)
• Big Y Corned Beef Hash, 15 oz can (UPC 1889480225)
• Big Y Chili With Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 1889480425)
• Black Rock Chili With Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 3030001715)
• Bloom Hot Dog Chili Sauce, 10 oz can (UPC 2543992448)
• Bryan Hot Dog Chili Sauce With Beef, 10 oz can (UPC 5340030010)
• Bryan Corned Beef Hash, 15 oz can (UPC 5340030110)
• Bryan Chili No Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 5340030200)
• Bryan Chili With Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 5340030205)
• Bryan Chili No Beans, 10 oz can (UPC 5340035264)
• Bunker Hill Hot Dog Chili Sauce, 10 oz can (UPC 7526604152)
• Bunker Hill Chili No Beans, 10 oz can (UPC 7526604112)
• Bunker Hill Spicier Chili No Beans, 10 oz can (UPC 7526604224)
• Castleberrys Hot Dog Chili Sauce, 10 oz can (UPC 3030000101)
• Castleberrys Onion Hot Dog Chili Sauce, 10 oz can (UPC 3030007101)
• Castleberrys Brunswick Stew Chicken & Beef, 15 oz can (UPC 3030000315)
• Castleberrys Barbecue Pork, 10 oz can (UPC 3030000402)
• Castleberrys Barbecue Pork, 14.5 oz can (UPC 3030000415)
• Castleberrys Barbecue Beef, 10 oz can (UPC 3030000602)
• Castleberrys Beef Stew, 15 oz can (UPC 3030000815)
• Castleberrys Corned Beef Hash, 15 oz can (UPC 3030000915)
• Castleberrys Chili With Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 3030001015)
• Castleberrys Sausage Gravy, 10 oz can (UPC 3030005130)
• Castleberrys Creamed Chip Beef Gravy, 10 oz can (UPC 3030005150)
• Castleberrys Hot Chili With Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 3030007217)
• Castleberrys Chili No Beans, 10 oz can (UPC 3030007701)
• Castleberrys Chili No Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 3030007715)
• Castleberrys Georgia Hash, 15 oz can (UPC 3030000215)
• Cattle Drive Beef Stew, 15 oz can (UPC 3030001530)
• Cattle Drive Chili No Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 3030001520)
• Cattle Drive Chicken Chili With Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 3030001525)
• Cattle Drive Chili With Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 3030001515)
• Firefighters Chicken Chili With Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 7372500413)
• Firefighters Chili With Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 7372500411)
• Firefighters Chili No Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 7372500412)
• Food Club Corned Beef Hash, 15 oz can (UPC 3680080204)
• Food Club Chili No Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 3680080404)
• Food Club Chili With Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 3680080504)
• Food Lion Hot Dog Chili Sauce, 10 oz can (UPC 3582606911)
• Goldstar Original Chili, 10oz can (UPC 2457500001)
• Goldstar Chili, 15oz can (UPC 2457500005)
• Goldstar Tex-Mex Chili With Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 2457500008)
• Great Value Chili With Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 8113179994)
• Great Value Hot Chili With Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 8113179995)
• Kroger Hot Dog Chili Sauce, 10 oz can (UPC 1111083942)
• Kroger Beef Stew, 15oz can (UPC 1111083928)
• Kroger Chili With Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 1111083930)
• Kroger Chili No Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 1111083908)
• Lowes Foods Chili No Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 4164301092)
• Lowes Foods Corned Beef Hash, 15 oz can (UPC 4164301094)
• Lowes Foods Chili With Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 4164301097)
• Meijer Hot Dog Chili Sauce, 10 oz can (UPC 4125085862)
• Meijer Chili No Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 4125095220)
• Meijer Chili With Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 4125095221)
• Meijer Corned Beef Hash, 15 oz can (UPC 4125095229)
• Morton House Chili With Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 7526665829)
• Morton House Corned Beef Hash, 15 oz can (UPC 7526665830)
• Morton House Chili With Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 7526665993)
• Paramount Hot Dog Chili Sauce, 10 oz can (UPC 7526600510)
• Paramount Chili for Hot Dogs, 15 oz can (UPC 7526600526)
• Paramount Chili No Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 7526600731)
• Paramount Chili With Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 7526600732)
• Piggly Wiggly Chili With Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 4129037252)
• Piggly Wiggly Chili No Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 4129037354)
• Piggly Wiggly Chili No Beans, 10 oz can (UPC 4129037355)
• Piggly Wiggly Corned Beef Hash, 15 oz can (UPC 4129037357)
• Prudence Corned Beef Hash, 15 oz can (UPC 4114100015)
• Southern Home Chili No Beans, 10 oz can (UPC 3825948713)
• Southern Home Chili No Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 0788015340)
• Southern Home Chili With Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 0788015341)
• Southern Home Corned Beef Hash, 15 oz can (UPC 0788015359)
• Steak n Shake Chili With Beans, 10 oz can (UPC 5184400120)
• Thrifty Maid Hot Dog Chili Sauce, 10 oz can (UPC 2114021367)
• Thrifty Maid Chili With Beans, 15 oz can (2114021370)
• Thrifty Maid Corned Beef Hash, 15 oz can (2114021375)
• Triple Bar Ranch Chili With Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 3030005801)
• Triple Bar Ranch Chili With Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 3030005804)
• Triple Bar Ranch Chili No Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 3030005805)
• Value Time Beef and Chicken Chili With Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 1122542159)

Consumers who have any of these products or any foods made with these products should throw them away immediately. Also, there have been no reports of illness from consumption of the products listed below .

There have been no reported illnesses linked to Natural Balance canned pet food, but Castleberry's recommends that all these products should be discarded. While botulism can affect some pets, dogs and cats are inherently resistant. The disease has only been seen occasionally in dogs and has not been reported in cats. Ferrets are highly susceptible to botulinum toxin. The incubation period can be two hours to two weeks; in most cases, the symptoms appear after 12 to 24 hours. Botulism is characterized by progressive motor paralysis. Typical clinical signs may include muscle paralysis, difficulty breathing, chewing and swallowing, visual disturbances and generalized weakness may also occur. Death usually results from paralysis of the respiratory or cardiac muscles. Pet owners who have used these products and whose pets have these symptoms should contact their veterinarian immediately. The following canned Natural Balance brand pet food products, which Castleberrys co-packs for Natural Balance, are being recalled. These include:

• Natural Balance Eatables for Dogs Irish Stew With Beef, Potatoes & Carrots,
  15 oz can (UPC 2363359860)
• Natural Balance Eatables for Dogs Chinese Take Out With Sauce With Vegetables and Chicken, 15 oz can (UPC 2363359861)
• Natural Balance Eatables for Dogs HOBO Chili With Chicken & Pasta,
  15 oz can (UPC 2363359863)
• Natural Balance Eatables for Dogs Southern Style Dumplings With Chicken & Vegetables, 15 oz can (UPC 2363359862)

Consumers with questions about the food recall should contact the Castleberry's Food Company Consumer Hotline at (800) 203-4412 or (888) 203-8446.