Health officials advise caution on toxic foods
BY CHRIS GAETANO
Staff Writer

SOUTH BRUNSWICK - Botulism outbreaks in at least two states have prompted the recall of 87 different kinds of chili and four varieties of dog foods, all manufactured by Castleberry Food Co.

The Middlesex County Health Department, the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have advised people to throw away affected products immediately, ideally double bagging to prevent leaks.

Four different botulism poisoning cases, two in Texas and two in Indiana, sparked the recall, with all victims having eaten Castleberry chili about a day before. Further investigations revealed the presence of the toxin in both the leftovers and unopened cans. Later tests showed it in 16 out of 17 unopened cans. According to officials from the FDA and USDA, something went wrong in the canning process in one of the firm's Augusta, Ga., factories, allowing bacteria to survive and reproduce in the food.

The toxin is produced by the germ clostridium botulinum. This toxin attacks the nervous system and can cause paralysis and death. Any food that may be contaminated with toxin should be discarded using extreme care, as even a tiny amount of toxin that is eaten or absorbed through a break in the skin or the eye can cause serious illness. People worried they may be infected should watch out for double vision, blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, or muscle weakness. Symptoms generally begin 18 to 36 hours after eating a contaminated food, but they can occur as early as six hours or as late as 10 days. Pets that consumed the toxin have similar symptoms to humans and may also have difficulty holding up their head or keeping their tongue in their mouth.

Staff at Super Stop & Shop in South Brunswick and ShopRite in North Brunswick confirmed that they didn't carry the affected products to begin with, and thus were not affected by the recall.

This is the latest in a series of food-borne illness outbreaks over the last year and a half. Other products that have been the subject of illness outbreaks include spinach, lettuce, green onions from Taco Bell, peanut butter, chicken cutlets and two different brands of dog and cat food.

A spokesperson with the FDA said that this is not a trend, however, stating that statistics show the overall number of outbreaks lowering over the years.

"If you speak with the CDCP, the trend is relative of what has gone down with respect to food-borne illnesses, but with better testing methods, we're able to detect food-borne illnesses much sooner and we can let the public know about them faster," FDA spokesperson Kimberly Rawlings said.

The recalled items are sold under a variety of names, not all of which are identified as Castleberry. Brands included in the recall include: Austex, Best Yet, Big Y, Black Rock, Bloom, Bryan, Bunker Hill, Castleberry's, Cattle Drive, Firefighters, Food Club, Food Lion, Goldstar, Kroger, Lowes Foods, Meijer, Morton House, Paramount, Piggly Wiggly, Prudence, Southern Home, Steak 'n Shake, Thrifty Maid, Triple Bar and Value Time. Cans of chili, hash, chipped beef, beef stew and barbecue pork should not be opened, let alone eaten. Pet foods included in the recall include Natural Balance Eatables for Dogs. The Irish stew with beef, potatoes and carrots, Chinese take out with sauce with vegetables and chicken, hobo chili with chicken and pasta and Southern-style dumplings with chicken and vegetables, should not be fed to pets or people.