Recalled food cans exploding! Many cans still for sale.....

[Curtis]

Botulism poisoning from these products has put some people in hospital. I was surprised, it is not just Castleberry's foods but also pet food, and other human food brands like: Austex, Best Yet, Big Y, Black Rock, Bloom, Bryan, Bunker Hill, Cattle Drive, Firefighters, Food Club, Goldstar, Great Value(Canada only), Kroger, Lowes Foods, Meijer, Morton House, Paramount, Piggly Wiggly, Prudence, Southern Home, Steak N Shake, Thrifty Maid, Triple Bar, Value Time & Natural balance canned pet foods. No wonder their recall is not working! They are worried because botulism can kill you and the poison gets worse the longer it is in the can, local small grocery stores still have the most of these products for sale. CHECK YOUR SHELVES AND LIVE WELL! LINK TO LATEST RECALL BELOW, SCROLL DOWN FOR NEWS ARTICLE ALSO:
http://www.castleberrys.com/news_productrecall.asp
Contaminated cans bursting, upping ante in botulism scare

09:19 PM CDT on Thursday, July 26, 2007
Associated Press

WASHINGTON – Cans of recalled food are bursting, swollen with bacteria that cause botulism.


The bursting cans were among those being held by Castleberry's Food Co., which last week announced a massive recall that now includes more than 90 potentially contaminated products, including chili sauces and dog foods.


News about the bursting cans gives new urgency to warnings from federal health officials to get rid of the recalled cans from pantries and store shelves.


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 bacteria thrive in moist, oxygen-free environments; inside canned food is a perfect place.


As the bacteria grow and reproduce, they produce gases that can cause contaminated cans to swell and burst. Health officials say the extremely potent toxin can infect people if it is inhaled, swallowed or absorbed through the eye or breaks in the skin.


"The longer this stuff stays in the can, the worse it gets," Acheson said.


It was not immediately clear how many cans had burst. Earlier FDA tests on 17 bulging cans being held by Castleberry's found 16 that contained the toxin.


FDA and officials in some states worry that word of the recall has not reached all consumers or retailers.


"It has been a problem getting the message out. We're having a problem reaching the smaller stores," said Lynae Granzow, an epidemiologist with the Indiana Department of Health.


Spot checks confirm that officials in Florida, Kentucky, Montana, New York, Indiana and elsewhere are finding recalled products in stores, especially smaller, mom-and-pop operations.


In North Carolina, officials removed 5,500 cans from slightly more than one-third of the 250 stores checked Wednesday and Thursday, said Joe Reardon, who oversees food protection for the state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.


"We're not going to quit. These numbers are too high," Reardon said.


In Massachusetts, health inspectors found recalled products in fewer than 50 small stores, mostly in the Boston area, state Department of Public Health spokeswoman Donna Rheaume said.


Castleberry's has hired a company to collect the recalled products from stores. It has posted a complete list of the recalled products, including some dog foods, on its Web site, http://www.castleberrys.com/


People who have any of the recalled products at home should double-bag and thrown them away, the FDA recommends.


Castleberry's is owned by Bumble Bee Seafoods LLC, based in San Diego.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent ... tories/0...

FDA Reinforces Botulism Warning Of Canned Meat, Pet Food
Posted on Thursday, 26 of July , 2007 at 4:06 pmWASHINGTON—A nationwide recall of certain canned human food and dog food products manufactured by Castleberry Food Company of Augusta, GA., was announced on July 18 and expanded on July 21.

As a result, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) are warning consumers not to open or eat canned products identified as part of the recall or to feed any of the canned products to their pets. These products may contain hazardous botulinum toxin. Botulism can be fatal. Human illnesses have been associated with two of the recalled human food products.

FDA and USDA are currently asking retailers and foodservice operations to respond immediately to remove and secure recalled products, making sure that all recalled products are not inadvertently made available for purchase, salvage or donation and therefore preventing any possibility for human or animal consumption.

Castleberry Food Company has established a plan for recalling its affected products. Retailers should follow the instructions received from the company or its distribution centers for removing, marking and securing the products. Further suggestions for the proper removal of recalled products from further circulation and disposal of recalled products are provided below.

All recalled products should be removed from store shelves and separated from other stock immediately. If possible, use additional safeguards, such as locking out the UPC codes at check-out, to ensure these products are not sold to consumers and cashiers informed of the hazard and cautioned not to override the lockout.

Removed recalled products should be kept in a secure area and identified with signs that have bold, clear lettering indicating that the products pose an extreme health hazard. Removed recalled products need to be clearly marked to prevent restocking, re-entry into commerce (including donation to food or pet food banks), or diversion to food or pet food salvage operations. Consider shrink wrapping recalled products to ensure they do not accidentally find their way back into commerce.

Recalled products should be isolated from other stock, secured and tagged for pick-up or disposal as directed by Castleberry or their designee. Do not puncture or otherwise open cans prior to disposal. Disposal must be done in accordance with State and local regulations and ordinances and in a manner that will prevent diversion of the recalled products. Recalled products should not be disposed of by placing them in unsecured garbage cans, dumpsters or other receptacles in a manner that could result in subsequent removal by individuals for their own use or for sale to others.

Particular care should be used when handling and disposing of cans that show signs of swelling or leakage to prevent any human exposure to the contents of the cans.

Opened containers of the recalled products or any foods made with the recalled products should be discarded with extreme care. An open container of a food included in this recall should be disposed of as follows: 1) place the open container in a sealable plastic bag 2) place the sealed plastic bag containing the open product inside two additional plastic bags and then tightly tape the bags closed and 3) place the sealed/taped plastic bags containing the opened product in a secure trash receptacle for non-recyclable trash. Do not discard any of the recalled food in a sink, garbage disposal or toilet.

Wear rubber gloves when handling open containers of suspect food. Wash hands thoroughly after handling suspect food or containers. Take care to avoid splashing or inhaling food when discarding it. Avoid contact with the skin or eyes. Sponges, cloths, rags and gloves that may have come into contact with contaminated food or containers should be discarded with the food.

Specific instructions for handling non-disposable containers and surfaces that may have come in contact with the food are provided at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Clostridium botulinum - Questions and Answers web page.

Employees should be informed of the hazard associated with the recalled products. Signs should be posted on removed recalled products to inform employees on all shifts that the product is hazardous and being held for disposal.

Store employees should alert consumers to the recall and the serious health hazard associated with exposure to the toxin. Consider posting signs on shelves and elsewhere in the store, and using other means of shopper notification to warn consumers not to open, taste or eat the recalled products. Inform consumers that any recalled products in their homes should be discarded carefully. More information for consumers is available at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Clostridium botulinum - Questions and Answers website.

Distribution centers and retail food stores may be visited by Federal, state or local officials conducting checks to determine the extent to which recalled product is being taken out of circulation. These officials will ask questions about the recall notification received, actions taken as a result of the notification, and status of recalled product in your establishment.

Castleberry Food Company recommends that consumers with any questions or concerns about this recall visit the company´s website (http://www.castleberrys.com) or call its consumer hotline at 1-800-203-4412 or 1-888-203-8446.

Consumers and others with questions can also call FDA at 1-888-SAFEFOOD or the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854).
Additional information is available at:
FDA - FDA Expands Its Nationwide Warning About the Risk of Botulism Poisoning From Certain Castleberry’s Food Products and Dog Food (July 21, 2007)
FSIS - Georgia Firm Expands Recall of Canned Meat Products That May Contain Clostridium botulinum (July 21, 2007)
FDA - Chili Products (Botulism) Recall ......(SEE FIRST LINK AT TOP FOR UPDATED COMPANY RECALL INFO)
http://www.northcountrygazette.org/news ... fda_warns/

[yoshi]

ah. as i said, i love Poland being considered as a Third-World european country. homophobia, no decent highways and no Castleberry's food.