Castleberry’s Food Company (owned by Bumble Bee Foods, LLC) is expecting lawsuits from people who have become seriously ill from eating cans of their hot dog chili sauce, canned chili and some of the other products talked about in this blog. Recently there was a Peter Pan peanut butter salmonella outbreak and ConAgra, the maker of the peanut butter, is currently facing many lawsuits as a result of people getting sick with salmonella poisoning. This situation is similar except that the chili sauce is causing people to be sick with botulism, which is much worse than salmonella. If the number of people who are sick is high, there will be many lawsuits filed. If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with botulism from eating chili, you most likely have a legitimate lawsuit. Call our office for more information.

 A 51-year-old woman is recovering Friday after being diagnosed with botulism, according to health officials. The woman developed symptoms a week after buying and eating a can of Kroger’s chili and beans. The company issued a voluntary recall last week of canned products under a number of different brands. Consumers are encouraged to check their homes for any of the recalled products. Here is the list of  products affected by the recall:

Cattle Drive Chili with Beans, 15 oz. cans
Southern Home Corned Beef Hash, 15 oz. cans
Meijer Corned Beef Hash, 15 oz. cans
Castleberry’s Chili with Beans, 15 oz. cans
Castleberry’s Barbecue Pork, 10 oz. cans
Bunker Hill Chili No Beans, 10 oz. cans
Austex Beef Stew, 15 oz. cans
Austex Onion Hot Dog Chili Sauce, 10 oz. cans
Austex Hot Dog Chili Sauce, 10 oz. cans
Austex Chili with Beans, 15 and 19 oz. cans
Austex Chili No Beans, 15 and 19 oz. cans
Best Yet Chili with Beans, 15 oz. cans
Best Yet Corned Beef Hash, 15 oz. cans
Big Y Chili with Beans, 15 oz. cans
Big Y Chili No Beans, 15 oz. cans
Big Y Corned Beef Hash, 15 oz. cans
Black Rock Chili with Beans, 15 oz. cans
Bloom Hot Dog Chili Sauce, 10 oz. cans
Bryan Corned Beef Hash, 15 oz. cans
Bryan Chili No Beans, 10 oz. cans
Bryan Chili No Beans, 15 oz. cans
Bryan Chili with Beans, 15 oz. cans
Bunker Hill Chili No Beans, 10 oz. cans
Bunker Hill Spicier Chili No Beans, 10 oz. cans
Bunker Hill Hot Dog Chili Sauce, 10 oz. cans
Castleberry’s Beef Stew, 15 oz. cans
Castleberry’s Brunswick Stew, 15 oz. cans
Castleberry’s Chili with Beans, 15 oz. cans
Castleberry’s Chili No Beans, 10 and 15 oz. cans
Castleberry’s Corned Beef Hash, 15 oz. cans
Castleberry’s Barbecue Beef, 10 oz. cans
Castleberry’s Hot Chili with Beans, 15 oz. cans
Castleberry’s Hot Dog Chili Sauce, 10 oz. cans
Castleberry’s Onion Hot Dog Chili Sauce, 10 oz. cans
Castleberry’s Barbecue Pork, 10 and 14.5 oz. cans
Castleberry’s Sausage Gravy, 10 oz. cans
Castleberry’s Creamed Chipped Beef Gravy, 10 oz. cans
Cattle Drive Beef Stew, 15 oz. cans
Cattle Drive Chili No Beans, 15 oz. cans
Cattle Drive Chili with Beans, 15 oz. cans
Cattle Drive Chicken Chili with Beans, 15 oz. cans
Firefighters Chicken Chili with Beans, 15 oz. cans
Firefighters Chili with Beans, 15 oz. cans
Firefighters Chili No Beans, 15 oz. cans
Food Club Chili with Beans, 15 oz. cans
Food Club Chili No Beans, 15 oz. cans
Food Club Corned Beef Hash, 15 oz. cans
Food Lion Hot Dog Chili Sauce, 10 oz. cans
Goldstar Chili, 10 and 15 oz. cans
Goldstar Tex-Mex Chili, 15 oz. cans
Great Value Chili with Beans, 15 oz. cans
Great Value Hot Chili with Beans, 15 oz. cans
Kroger Beef Stew, 15 oz. cans
Kroger Chili with Beans, 15 oz. cans
Kroger Chili No Beans, 15 oz. cans
Kroger Hot Dog Chili Sauce, 10 oz. cans
Lowes Chili No Beans, 15 oz. cans
Lowes Chili with Beans, 15 oz. cans
Lowes Corned Beef Hash, 15 oz. cans
Meijer Chili with Beans, 15 oz. cans
Meijer Chili No Beans, 15 oz. cans
Meijer Corned Beef Hash, 15 oz. cans
Meijer Hot Dog Chili Sauce, 10 oz.
Morton House Chili with Beans, 15 oz. cans
Morton House Corned Beef Hash, 15 oz. cans
Paramount Hot Dog Chili Sauce, 10- and 15 oz. cans
Paramount Chili No Beans, 15 oz. cans
Paramount Chili with Beans, 15 oz. cans
Piggly Wiggly Chili with Beans, 15 oz. cans
Piggly Wiggly Chili No Beans, 10 and 15 oz. cans
Piggly Wiggly Corned Beef Hash, 15 oz. cans
Prudence Corned Beef Hash, 15 oz. cans
Southern Home Chili with Beans, 15 oz. cans
Southern Home Chili No Beans, 10- and 15 oz. cans
Southern Home Corned Beef Hash, 15 oz. cans
Steak N Shake Chili, 10 oz. cans
Thrifty Maid Chili with Beans, 15 oz. cans
Thrifty Maid Corned Beef Hash, 15 oz. cans
Thrifty Maid Hot Dog Chili Sauce, 10 oz. cans
Triple Bar Chili with Beans, 15 oz. cans
Triple Bar Chili No Beans, 15 oz. cans
Value Time Chili with Beans, 15 oz. cans
Irish Stew with Beef, 15 oz.
Chinese Take Out with Sauce with Vegetables and Chicken, 15 oz.
Southern Style Dumplings with Gravy with Chicken and Vegetables, 15 oz.
Hobo Chili with Chicken, 15 oz.

If you have been affected by the hog dog chili outbreak, feel free to contact a hot dog chili recall lawyer experienced with handling cases involving contaminated foods. If you are considering filing a hot dog chili lawsuit against the makers of the contaminated cans of chili, contact us today. Our law firm helps victims nationwide and is experienced handling food poisoning lawsuits. If you need a botulism lawyer, contact The Gomez Firm today. We recently helped hundreds of victims of a salmonella peanut butter outbreak and we can help you as well. As an award winning trial attorney, you will be in good hands. Contact a hot dog chili botulism lawyer today for your free consultation. (866) 395-6792.

Do you love hot dog chili?

If you love hot dog chili, be careful of the cans of hot dog chili you buy. The FDA recently released a warning about certain cans of hot dog chili causing botulism. Botulism hasn’t been seen here in the U.S. in a long time but it’s a serious thing. Symptoms of botulism poisoning can begin from 6 hours to 2 weeks after eating food that contains the toxin. Symptoms may include double vision, blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, dry mouth, and muscle weakness that moves progressively down the body, affecting the shoulders first then descending to the upper arms, lower arms, thighs, calves, etc. Botulism poisoning can also cause paralysis of the breathing muscles which can result in death unless assistance with breathing (mechanical ventilation) is provided.

So far, 4 people have been sickened from the hot dog chili sauce.

The hot dog chili recall covers the following universal product codes:

Castleberry’s Hot Dog Chili Sauce, 10 oz can (UPC 3030000101)

Austex Hot Dog Chili Sauce, 10-ounce can (UPC 3030099533)

Kroger Hot Dog Chili Sauce, 10-ounce can (UPC 1111083942)

Morton House Corned Beef Hash, 15-ounce can (UPC 7526665830)

Cattle Drive Chili With Beans, 15-ounce can (UPC 3030001515)

Southern Home Corned Beef Hash, 15-ounce can (UPC 0788015360)

Meijer Corned Beef Hash, 15-ounce can (UPC 4125095229)

Castleberrys Chili With Beans, 15-ounce can (UPC 3030001015)

Castleberrys Barbecue Pork, 10-ounce can (UPC 3030000402)

Bunker Hill Chili No Beans, 10-ounce can (UPC 7526604112).

Taken from the FDA website:  

Castleberry’s Announces Voluntary Recall of Chili Products

Contact:
Castleberry’s Consumer Hotline
1-888-203-8446

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — Augusta, Georgia — July 18, 2007 – Castleberry’s Food Company today announced that it is voluntarily recalling the following products: Castleberry’s Hot Dog Chili Sauce, 10 oz can (UPC 3030000101), Austex Hot Dog Chili Sauce, 10 oz can (UPC 3030099533), Kroger Hot Dog Chili Sauce, 10 oz can (UPC 1111083942), Morton House Corned Beef Hash, 15 oz can (UPC 7526665830), Cattle Drive Chili with Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 3030001515), Southern Home Corned Beef Hash, 15 oz can (UPC 0788015360), Meijer Corned Beef Hash, 15 oz can (UPC 4125095229), Castleberry’s Chili with Beans, 15 oz can (UPC 3030001015), Castleberry’s Barbecue Pork, 10 oz can (UPC 3030000402) and Bunker Hill Chili No Beans, 10 oz can (UPC 7526604112).

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 with Clostridium botulinum, a bacterium which can cause botulism, a life-threatening illness. 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.

This recall only affects the products listed above with a “best by” date of APR30 2009 through MAY22 2009. The “best by” date can be found either on the top or bottom of the can. Consumers who have any of these products should discard them. Consumers should not use these products even if they do not look or smell spoiled. Consumers may return the label to the location where the product was purchased for a full refund.

Castleberry’s was notified by the FDA of four potential cases of botulism involving individuals who ate these products. “We are taking this precautionary measure to ensure the safety of our consumers,” said Steve Mavity, SVP Technical Services/Quality Assurance for Castleberry’s. “We will continue to work closely with the FDA, USDA, and CDC.”

Consumers with any questions or concerns about this recall should go to Castleberry’s website (http://www.castleberrys.com) or call Castleberry’s consumer hotline at 1-888-203-8446.

If you need a botulism lawyer, contact the Gomez Firm for free legal advice. Visit www.thegomezfirm.com to contact us or call us at 1-866-395-6792.