Risk of Botulism in Hotdog Chili Sauce

[keltin]

Risk of Botulism Poisoning - Chili Products sold Nationally

Affected units were sold nationally and consumers in all parts of the country should check the label and "Best By" date on the bottom of the cans.

Two children in Texas and an Indiana couple who ate these products became
seriously ill and have been hospitalized. Consumers who have any of these products or any foods made with these products should not eat them and throw them away immediately. List of products from The U.S. Food and Drug Administration...

10 ounce cans of Castleberry's Hot Dog Chili Sauce (UPC 3030000101)
Austex Hot Dog Chili Sauce (UPC 3030099533)
Kroger Hot Dog Chili Sauce (UPC 1111083942)

Full report.

 

[BreezyCooking]

Yes - saw that in yesterday's news. The recall also includes several brands of canned corned beef hash as well - I imagine because they were processed at the same plants.

If you have any canned hot dog chili sauce or corned beef hash in your cupboard, it would probably behoove you to do a search on the recall just in case.

 

[BreezyCooking]

Alix said it would be okay to cut & paste the full list - as of yesterday - as to what's been recalled so far with reference to this botulism scare - just in case any of you have any of these items in your pantry:

"The recall covers the following universal product codes:

_Castleberry's Hot Dog Chili Sauce, 10 oz can (UPC 3030000101)

_Austex Hot Dog Chili Sauce, 10-ounce can (UPC 3030099533)

_Kroger Hot Dog Chili Sauce, 10-ounce can (UPC 1111083942)

_Morton House Corned Beef Hash, 15-ounce can (UPC 7526665830)

_Cattle Drive Chili With Beans, 15-ounce can (UPC 3030001515)

_Southern Home Corned Beef Hash, 15-ounce can (UPC 0788015360)

_Meijer Corned Beef Hash, 15-ounce can (UPC 4125095229)

_Castleberrys Chili With Beans, 15-ounce can (UPC 3030001015)

_Castleberrys Barbecue Pork, 10-ounce can (UPC 3030000402)

_Bunker Hill Chili No Beans, 10-ounce can (UPC 7526604112).

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

On the Net:

Castleberry's Food Co.: http://www.castleberrys.com/

CDC botulism information: http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/botulism/index.asp"

 

[Alix]

Thanks Breezy. Now everyone go check your pantry and clear out anything tainted, we don't want anyone here getting sick!

 

[Katie H]

This is the first time I've viewed this thread, mainly because we never have either of those items in our pantry. Still don't. But it's interesting to see how many brands are on the list. Hope everyone heeds the warning and stays safe.

 

[BreezyCooking]

**IMPORTANT UPDATE**

The company has now increased the recall to 80 items - now including canned chili, gravies, beef stews, & gourmet dog food. Apparently, they've now traced the botulism to a production line that wasn't processing the food at a high enough temperature. So they're now recalling anything & everything that was processed through that line of machinery. Scary - very scary.

Anyway, the list is now too long to post here, but I suggest you visit the Castleberry website (link is in my previous post) & quickly peruse the list in case you might have one of those items in your cupboard - which should then be tossed or returned to the store of purchase.

 

[gto]

When you open a can how can you tell if there is botulism?

 

[mcnerd]

When you open a can how can you tell if there is botulism?

You can't. It is odorless, tasteless, and offers no visual signs of its existence. It just kills. Less than a teaspoon will kill 100,000 people easily. You may also know a weaker derivative of it -- Botox.

 

[gadzooks]

Can may be swollen, or release pressure when opened.

 

[mozart]

When you open a can how can you tell if there is botulism?

Any low acid, high water, canned food can produce botulism toxin if not properly processed. The only viable way to kill the spores is through high pressure/high heat canning.

When that process breaks down at a processing plant, everything off that line is suspect.

Often the breakdown is caught and a recall is effected for "potential" botulism, as with the bean recall earlier this year.

Unfortunately, there is little we can do to protect ourselves except to stay away from canned foods that have the potential to contain the organism.

I'm not suggesting that. Your odds of getting botulism are less than getting hit by lightning.

 

[mcnerd]

Can may be swollen, or release pressure when opened.

That will occur with bacteria growth and spoilage. It does NOT occur with the Botulism toxin.

 

[mozart]

That will occur with bacteria growth and spoilage. It does NOT occur with the Botulism toxin.

That is not correct, mcnerd.

Botulism (Clostridium botulinum) is a gas producing organism. It is the same genus (Clostridium) that causes gas gangrene in wounds. It can and does bulge cans in many cases.

Logically, since botulism spores are one of the hardest organisms to destroy, if the can is bulging, you have to assume if it isn't botulism, then certainly it is something that survived a much lower processing pressure/temperature than what it takes to kill the botulism organism. so the botulism organism could well be present.

Although the toxin won't make the can bulge, the gas given off by the growth of the bacteria that produce the toxin surely can.

Any bulging can, therefore, is suspect and should be properly discarded.

mcnerd is correct in that you cannot tell for sure when you open the can if it contains botulism, and it is possible that a can can contain botulism toxin and not bulge.

 

[gadzooks]

That will occur with bacteria growth and spoilage. It does NOT occur with the Botulism toxin.

My mistake...go ahead and use the swollen cans, it's not botulism.

 

[jennyema]

That will occur with bacteria growth and spoilage. It does NOT occur with the Botulism toxin.

YES it does. Botulism contamination can cause cans to swell.

Never, ever eat anything from a can that is swollen or dented out.

 

[mcnerd]

YES it does. Botulism contamination can cause cans to swell.

Please document. I am only aware of can swelling, etc., from bacteria growth and related "spoilage". Botulism is not spoilage.

 

[gadzooks]

Makes me want to just avoid canned goods altogether.

 

[GotGarlic]

Makes me want to just avoid canned goods altogether.

There's no need to overreact. People eat from billions of cans of food each year and foodborne botulism is extremely rare: Foodborne Botulism in the United States, 1990-2000

 

[gadzooks]

Botulism - HGIC @ Clemson University
Bursting cans give new urgency to botulism warnings - CNN.com
Tainted chili cans bursting with botulism - Diet and nutrition - MSNBC.com

 

[YT2095]

IIRC, the toxin effects the 9`th 10`th and 12`th cranial nerves govourning respiration, swallowing and the coordination of swallowing, there is off gassing when the bacteria breeds (like CO2 does with yeast) and will bloat cans or jar lids etc...
the Toxin itself won`t do that anymore than a bottle of Alcohol will (the other product of Yeast).

I was quite surprised (and Pleased) to read these kids had survived the ordeal, the Boss was certainly looking out for them!

 

[mozart]

Of course, while the spores of the organism are very hard to destroy, the actual toxin can be destroyed by heating above 165 degrees for several minutes.

My guess is one reason that these episodes were not fatal is that the chili sauce was heated and much of the toxin was destroyed before consumption.