Suspected Botulism Poisoning From Certain Castleberry Food Products

Chrissie Cole

Contributor

0 CommentsPrint ArticleSubscribe

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced yesterday that four people from Indiana and Texas were recently hospitalized with suspected cases of botulism poisoning after consuming contaminated hot dog chili sauce.

The brands included in the voluntary recall include 10=oz cans of Castleberry's Austex, and Kroger hot dog chili sauce with "best buy" dates between April 20, 2008 and May 22, 2009. The products were made by Castleberry Food Company, located in Augusta, Georgia.

The patients include a couple from Indiana and two children from Texas who became ill after eating the chili sauce. There is no other information available about them at this time.

Botulinum toxin is a nerve poison produced by Clostridium botulinum, a bacterium commonly found in soil. Botulism symptoms include double or blurred vision, droopy eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, dry mouth, and muscle weakness, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). If the illness is not treated, it can progress to paralysis of the limbs, trunk, and breathing muscles.

Consumers that suspect they have the recalled product should throw them away immediately. Anyone who has recently eaten one of the recalled food items and shows symptoms of illness should seek medical attention.

Read more information and see a full list of recalled Castleberry items.

For more information on this subject, please refer to our section on Defective and Dangerous Products.