Ohio Department of Health

Governor Ted Strickland ODA Director Robert J. Boggs

Lieutenant Governor Lee Fisher ODH Director Alvin D. Jackson, M.D.

To: Health Commissioners, Environmental Health Directors, Nursing Directors, ODA Food Safety Specialists, and Other Interested Parties

Subject: Recall Announcement (ODA/ODH) 2007-48e

Date: July 23, 2007

Castleberry’s Expands Voluntary Recall of Hot Dog Chili Sauce and Canned Meat Products

AUGUSTA, Ga. Castleberry’s Food Company announced that it is taking extra steps to ensure public safety by voluntarily expanding its recall originally announced on July 18 due to the risk ofbotulinum toxin, a bacterium which can cause botulism.

Botulism can cause the following symptoms: general weakness, dizziness, double-vision and trouble with speaking or swallowing. Difficulty in breathing, weakness of other muscles, abdominal distension and constipation may also be common symptoms. People experiencing these problems should seek immediate medical attention.

The recall originally announced on July 18 affected only 10 products with ‘best by’ dates from APR30 2009 through MAY22 2009. The extended recall now includes the following canned products in the following sizes with all ‘best by’ and code dates:

Austex Onion Hot Dog Chili Sauce, 10 oz can (UPC 3030097101)
Austex Hot Dog Chili Sauce, 10 oz can (UPC 3030099533)
Austex Beef Stew, 15 oz can (UPC 3030090815)
Austex Chili With Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 3030091015)
Austex Chili With Beans, 19 oz can (UPC 3030092519)
Austex Chili No Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 3030097715)
Austex Chili No Beans, 19 oz can (UPC 3030097719)
Best Yet Corned Beef Hash, 15 oz can (UPC 4217841082)
Best Yet Chili With Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 4218740842)
Big Y Chili No Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 1889480424)
Big Y Corned Beef Hash, 15 oz can (UPC 1889480225)
Big Y Chili With Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 1889480425)
Black Rock Chili With Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 3030001715)
Bloom Hot Dog Chili Sauce, 10 oz can (UPC 2543992448)
Bryan Hot Dog Chili Sauce With Beef, 10 oz can (UPC 5340030010)
Bryan Corned Beef Hash, 15 oz can (UPC 5340030110)
Bryan Chili No Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 5340030200)
Bryan Chili With Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 5340030205)
Bryan Chili No Beans, 10 oz can (UPC 5340035264)
Bunker Hill Hot Dog Chili Sauce, 10 oz can (UPC 7526604152)
Bunker Hill Chili No Beans, 10 oz can (UPC 7526604112)
Bunker Hill Spicier Chili No Beans, 10 oz can (UPC 7526604224)
Castleberry’s Hot Dog Chili Sauce, 10 oz can (UPC 3030000101)
Castleberry’s Onion Hot Dog Chili Sauce, 10 oz can (UPC 3030007101)
Castleberry’s Brunswick Stew Chicken & Beef, 15 oz can (UPC 3030000315)
Castleberry’s Barbecue Pork, 10 oz can (UPC 3030000402)
Castleberry’s Barbecue Pork, 14.5 oz can (UPC 3030000415)
Castleberry’s Barbecue Beef, 10 oz can (UPC 3030000602)
Castleberry’s Beef Stew, 15 oz can (UPC 3030000815)
Castleberry’s Corned Beef Hash, 15 oz can (UPC 3030000915)
Castleberry’s Chili With Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 3030001015)
Castleberry’s Sausage Gravy, 10 oz can (UPC 3030005130)
Castleberry’s Creamed Chip Beef Gravy, 10 oz can (UPC 3030005150)
Castleberry’s Hot Chili With Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 3030007217)
Castleberry’s Chili No Beans, 10 oz can (UPC 3030007701)
Castleberry’s Chili No Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 3030007715)
Castleberry’s Georgia Hash, 15 oz can (UPC 3030000215)
Cattle Drive Beef Stew, 15 oz can (UPC 3030001530)
Cattle Drive Chili No Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 3030001520)
Cattle Drive Chicken Chili With Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 3030001525)
Cattle Drive Chili With Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 3030001515)
Firefighters Chicken Chili With Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 7372500413)
Firefighters Chili With Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 737250041)
Firefighters Chili No Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 7372500412)
Food Club Corned Beef Hash, 15 oz can (UPC 3680080204)
Food Club Chili No Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 3680080404)
Food Club Chili With Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 3680080504)
Food Lion Hot Dog Chili Sauce, 10 oz can (UPC 3582606911)
Goldstar Original Chili, 10oz can (UPC 2457500001)
Goldstar Chili, 15oz can (UPC 2457500005)
Goldstar Tex-Mex Chili With Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 2457500008)
Great Value Chili With Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 8113179994)
Great Value Hot Chili With Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 8113179995)
Kroger Hot Dog Chili Sauce, 10 oz can (UPC 1111083942)
Kroger Beef Stew, 15oz can (UPC 1111083928)
Kroger Chili With Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 1111083930)
Kroger Chili No Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 1111083908)
Lowes Foods Chili No Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 4164301092)
Lowes Foods Corned Beef Hash, 15 oz can (UPC 4164301094)
Lowes Foods Chili With Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 4164301097)
Meijer Hot Dog Chili Sauce, 10 oz can (UPC 4125085862)
Meijer Chili No Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 4125095220)
Meijer Chili With Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 4125095221)
Meijer Corned Beef Hash, 15 oz can (UPC 4125095229)
Morton House Chili With Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 7526665829)
Morton House Corned Beef Hash, 15 oz can (UPC 7526665830)
Morton House Chili With Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 7526665993)
Paramount Hot Dog Chili Sauce, 10 oz can (UPC 7526600510)
Paramount Chili for Hot Dogs, 15 oz can (UPC 7526600526)
Paramount Chili No Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 7526600731)
Paramount Chili With Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 7526600732)
Piggly Wiggly Chili With Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 4129037252)
Piggly Wiggly Chili No Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 4129037354)
Piggly Wiggly Chili No Beans, 10 oz can (UPC 4129037355)
Piggly Wiggly Corned Beef Hash, 15 oz can (UPC 4129037357)
Prudence Corned Beef Hash, 15 oz can (UPC 4114100015)
Southern Home Chili No Beans, 10 oz can (UPC 3825948713)
Southern Home Chili No Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 0788015340)
Southern Home Chili With Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 0788015341)
Southern Home Corned Beef Hash, 15 oz can (UPC 0788015359)
Steak n Shake Chili With Beans, 10 oz can (UPC 5184400120)
Thrifty Maid Hot Dog Chili Sauce, 10 oz can (UPC 2114021367)
Thrifty Maid Chili With Beans, 15 oz can (2114021370)
Thrifty Maid Corned Beef Hash, 15 oz can (2114021375)
Triple Bar Ranch Chili With Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 3030005801)
Triple Bar Ranch Chili With Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 3030005804)
Triple Bar Ranch Chili No Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 3030005805)
Value Time Beef and Chicken Chili With Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 1122542159)

In addition, the following canned Natural Balance brand pet food products, which Castleberry’s co-packs for Natural Balance, are being recalled. These include:

Natural Balance Eatables for Dogs Irish Stew With Beef, Potatoes & Carrots, 15 oz can (UPC 2363359860)
Natural Balance Eatables for Dogs Chinese Take Out With Sauce With Vegetables and Chicken, 15 oz can (UPC 2363359861)
Natural Balance Eatables for Dogs HOBO Chili With Chicken & Pasta, 15 oz can (UPC 2363359863)
Natural Balance Eatables for Dogs Southern Style Dumplings With Chicken & Vegetables, 15 oz can (UPC 2363359862)

Consumers should not use these products even if they do not look or smell spoiled. Consumers with these products should dispose of them by double bagging in plastic bags that are tightly closed before being placed in a trash receptacle for non-recyclable trash outside of the home, according to the Food and Drug Administration. Additional instructions for safe disposal can be found at www.cdc.gov/botulism/botulism_faq.htm.

“There is nothing more important to us than the health of those who use our products every day,” said Steve Mavity, SVP Technical Services/Quality Assurance for Castleberry’s. “We are taking every step necessary, and are working hand in hand with health officials around the clock to ensure the safety of consumers.”

Mavity said, “We believe we have isolated the issue to a situation of under-processing on one line of our production facility. As an extra precaution to the recall we announced on Wednesday, we have shut down this line altogether and are recalling all products produced on it.”

Castleberry’s is working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to investigate possible contamination of these products.

Castleberry’s was notified by the FDA of two confirmed botulism cases and two potential botulism cases involving individuals who ate Hot Dog Chili Sauce products. No new cases have been reported since the recall was announced on July 18.

There have been no reported illnesses linked to Natural Balance canned pet food, but Castleberry’s recommends that all these products should be discarded. While botulism can affect some pets, dogs and cats are inherently resistant. The disease has only been seen occasionally in dogs and has not been reported in cats. Ferrets are highly susceptible to botulinum toxin. The incubation period can be two hours to two weeks; in most cases, the symptoms appear after 12 to 24 hours. Botulism is characterized by progressive motor paralysis. Typical clinical signs may include muscle paralysis, difficulty breathing, chewing and swallowing, visual disturbances and generalized weakness may also occur. Death usually results from paralysis of the respiratory or cardiac muscles. Pet owners who have used these products and whose pets have these symptoms should contact their veterinarian immediately.

Consumers with any questions should visit Castleberry’s Web site (www.castleberrys.com). A toll-free hotline is also available for consumer questions at 1-800-203-4412 or 1-888-203-8446.