Guide Note

On July 18, 2007 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned consumers to discard certain cans of hot-dog chili sauce after four cases of botulism were reported by consumers. On July 21, 2007, Castleberry’s Food Company expanded the recall to include 80 more products made at their Augusta, Georgia manufacturing plant.

Fast Facts

1. The first cases of botulism in commercially canned foods in decades
2. A couple in Indiana and two children in Texas were hospitalized after eating the contaminated sauce
3. Over 300,000 cans of food were recalled from 22 states
4. Eacy year, about 25 cases of food-borne botulism are reported in the United States
5. Castleberry's food is a subsidiary of Bumble Bee Seafoods LLC
6. The contaminated food was traced back to a manufacturing problem about two months prior to the recall
7. Botulism can cause paralysis and death

"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. This is foodborne illness with an extra kick in it, big time."—Dr. David Acheson, FDA food safety expert ¹