The City of Wichita Department of Environmental Services and other health officials urge consumers to check their cupboards for any of 90 different canned food items recalled in the wake of recent U.S. botulism cases.

Botulism was traced to one of Castleberry's production lines, leading to the expanded recall of any food processed on that line. Included are canned chili and chili sauces, stews, hash, corned beef and other items sold under several brand names, as well as several pet foods. An additional twenty-one product labels have been voluntarily recalled by Lakeside Foods. Lakeside has voluntarily recalled 14.5-ounce cans of French Style Green Beans, with twenty-one different product labels, for potential contamination with botuinum toxin (none of the cans tested so far have been found to be contaminated).

State and federal agencies are working with grocers, food banks and other food distributors to ensure that all recalled products are pulled from their shelves. While some of these products have been distributed to Kansas (including Wichita), any of these products could be found in Kansas.

Consumers are advised to check the canned food in their houses. Some of these products include chili and stew that may be consumed more frequently once cooler weather arrives. Home food supplies should be double-checked for recalled items. People should also get the word out to family and friends that may not be aware of the recall.

For a list of products being recalled for botulism contamination, or for the potential of being contaminated, please visit each of the following websites: http://www.castleberrys.com/ and http://www.lakesidefoods.com/. Consumers who have any of these products or any foods made with these products should dispose of them immediately. For instructions on how to safely handle and dispose of the recalled food items, please visit http://www.cdc.gov/botulism/botulism_faq.htm, or call the City of Wichita Department of Environmental Services 268-8351.

Food-borne botulism in the U.S. is now quite rare, with most cases outside of Alaska traced to improperly home-canned foods. This is the first time U.S. botulism cases have been traced to commercial canning defects since 1971. Swallowing even tiny traces of botulinum toxin can be lethal, which is why any questionable canned food should not be opened. Symptoms of botulism include double or blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, and muscle weakness. If untreated, the illness may progress to include paralysis of the face, arms, breathing muscles, trunk and legs. Symptoms usually begin within one to three days of consuming contaminated food, although the effect is sometimes delayed. People who develop any of these symptoms should contact a physician immediately.

For Spanish-language information on botulism from the Centers on Disease Control go to: http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/botulism/espanol/

For additional information, please visit
 http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/castleberry.html

Chili Products (Botulism) Recall Home Page
http://www.cdc.gov/botulism/botulism_faq.htm
http://www.castleberrys.com/
http://www.lakesidefoods.com/

For additional information please call the City of Wichita Department of Environmental Services at 268-8351.

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