By By Lisa Tindell – news writer
Hot dog chili, corned beef hash, chili with beans, barbecue beef and pork have been cleared from area grocery store shelves in response to a national recall of the products.
Welch's actions have been mimicked across town as other grocery stores have removed items possibly tainted with a bacterium that can cause botulism. The recall, originally announced on July 18, has widened as other items were found to be unsafe. The original recall involved 10 products with &#8220best by” dates from Apr. 30, 2009 through May 22, 2009. The expanded recall now includes named products with any &#8220best by” date on the label or can.
Castleberry's Food Company has announced the items named have been recalled due to the risk of botulinum toxin, which can cause botulism, according to information from the Alabama Department of Public Health.
The ADPH has released information that advises the public not to purchase or eat any of the recalled canned food products on the list.
Southern Family Market's store manager, Peggy Booker, said her store has completed the removal of the recalled items.
Jerry Bryant, co-manager at Brewton's Winn-Dixie said his store has also cleared the shelves of any item on the recall list.
Although the Brewton Wal-Mart has a limited amount of food products in the store, Bill Willis, store manager, said his store has no items on the shelf related to the recall.
Castleberry's Food Company, an Augusta, Ga., establishment owned by Bumble Bee Foods, LLC, issued the recall on July 19 and expanded the recall on July 21.
Botulism is a rare but serious paralytic illness caused by a nerve toxin. Symptoms of botulism include double vision, blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, dry mouth, and muscle weakness. The illness can cause paralysis, respiratory failure and death. Symptoms usually occur from 18 to 36 hours after eating contaminated food. Anyone who is experiencing any of these symptoms should contact a physician.