Hot Dog Chili Sauce - Newest Special Offer for Democrats

http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2007/7/18/223230.shtml?s=he

Hot Dog Chili Sauce in Botulism Recall

NewsMax.com Wires Thursday, July 19, 2007

WASHINGTON -- Federal health officials warned consumers Wednesday to throw

away certain cans of hot dog chili sauce after the product was linked to the

first cases of botulism in commercially canned foods in decades.

Four people were hospitalized. The warning applies to 10-ounce cans of

Castleberry's, Austex and Kroger brands of hot dog chili sauce with "best

by" dates from April 30, 2009, through May 22, 2009, the Food and Drug

Administration said. It wasn't immediately clear how widely the products

were distributed.

The contamination by the toxin is extremely rare for a commercially canned

product. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention medical epidemiologist

Dr. Michael Lynch said the last such U.S. case dates to the 1970s. The

roughly 25 cases reported each year typically involved home-canned foods,

Lynch said.

The victims - two each in Texas and Indiana - were seriously ill but

expected to survive. The Texas cases involved children who are siblings. The

Indiana cases involved an adult couple. No other details were available.

The products were made by the Castleberry Food Co., owned by Bumble Bee

Seafoods LLC. The company, based in San Diego, had no immediate comment.

FDA has sent experts to the Castleberry plant in Augusta, Ga., where the

products were canned, said Robert Brackett, director of the FDA's Center for

Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. The company is voluntarily recalling all

potentially contaminated product and is cooperating with state and federal

officials, Brackett added.

Botulism is a muscle-paralyzing disease caused by a toxin made by a

bacterium called Clostridium botulinum, according to the CDC.

Brackett urged consumers to discard any of the recalled cans without opening

them.

"The toxin is so potent if they get it on their hands or it sprays in their

face, it could make them ill," he said.

Typically, commercially canned foods are heated long enough and to high

enough temperatures to kill the spores.

"It's been a triumph of food safety that canning is safe. That's what makes

this so unusual," Lynch said.

Symptoms of botulism include double or blurred vision, drooping eyelids,

slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, dry mouth and muscle weakness that

moves down the body, according to the CDC.

Eventually, paralysis can cause a person to stop breathing and die, unless

supported by a ventilator. Most victims eventually recover after weeks to

months of care.

The recall covers the following universal product codes:

-Castleberry's Hot Dog Chili Sauce (UPC 3030000101);

-Austex Hot Dog Chili Sauce (UPC 3030099533);

-Kroger Hot Dog Chili Sauce (UPC 1111083942).

Consumers with questions may call the company toll-free at 888-203-8446