Michigan Firm Recalls Canned Green Beans and Garbanzo Beans for
Possible Contamination with Bacteria Causing Botulism
January 23, 2008—Denver—State consumer protection
officials Wednesday announced that
New Era Canning Company of New Era, Mich., is expanding a
Dec. 21
voluntarily recall to include all green beans and garbanzo
beans in 6
lbs. 5 oz. (No. 10) cans because they may be contaminated
with
Clostridium botulinum, a bacterium that can cause
life-threatening
illness or death from botulism.
The canned beans were distributed by the company to retail
and
institutional establishments nationwide, including Colorado,
for the
last five years. To date, no illnesses in Colorado have been
reported. Daniel Rifkin, Wholesale Food Program manager for the
Colorado
Department of Public Health and Environment’s Consumer
Protection
Division, said that based on product shelf life, these
recalled products
still could be in consumers’ pantries, and it is important
that they
return or discard the products and not consume them.
Rifkin said, “Individuals who have any of the listed
products or any
foods made with these products should throw them away
immediately. Do
not use the product even if it does not look or smell
spoiled.” Rifkin advised consumers to dispose of the product by
double-bagging
the cans in plastic bags that are tightly closed and then
placing them
in a trash receptacle for non-recyclable trash outside of
the home.
“Particular care should be used when handling and disposing
of cans
that show signs of swelling or leakage to prevent any human
exposure to
the contents of the cans,” he said. “Recalled products
should not be
disposed of by placing them in unsecured garbage cans,
dumpsters or
other receptacles where others could retrieve the product
for their own
use.” Rifkin said symptoms of botulism poisoning in humans can
begin from six
hours to two weeks after eating food that contains the
toxin. Symptoms
may include double vision, blurred vision, drooping eyelids,
slurred
speech, difficulty swallowing and muscle weakness that moves
progressively down the body, affecting the shoulders first,
then
descending to the upper arms, lower arms, thighs and calves.
Botulism
poisoning also can cause paralysis of the breathing muscles,
which can
cause death. “Individuals who have these symptoms and who may have
recently eaten
the products under recall or other food products made with
them should
seek immediate medical attention,” urged Rifkin. The following products are included in the expanded recall: Bunny brand, distributed by Bunn Capitol Co., Springfield,
Ill
- Blue Lake mixed and shortcut green beans, 6 lb. 5 oz. cans
(UPC 6444500193)
Classic Sysco brand, distributed by Sysco Corp., Houston
- Blue Lake cut green beans, 3 sieve, 101 oz. (6 lb. 5 oz.)
cans (UPC 7486510779)
- Blue Lake cut green beans, 4 sieve, 101 oz. (6 lb. 5 oz.)
cans (UPC 7486510487)
- Garbanzo beans, 108 oz. (6 lb. 12 oz.) cans (UPC
7486510484)
Code brand, distributed by Code, Atlanta
- Mixed & short cut green beans, 6 lb. 5 oz. cans (UPC 1207310120)
- Fancy garbanzo beans without sulfites, 6 lb. 14 oz. cans (UPC 1207316120)
ComSource brand, distributed by ComSource, Atlanta
- Blue Lake cut green beans, 6 lb. 5 oz. cans (UPC
5254952333)
- Blue Lake cut green beans, 3 sieve, 6 lb. 5 oz. cans (UPC 5254952321)
ComSource Medallion Premium Quality brand, distributed by
ComSource, Atlanta
- Fancy Blue Lake cut green beans, 4 sieve, 6 lb. 5 oz. cans
(UPC 5254952325)
ComSource Merit Excellence Food Service brand, distributed
by
ComSource, Inc, Atlan
ta
- Cut Blue Lake green beans, 5 sieve, 6 lb. 5 oz. cans (UPC 5254952327)
- Fancy Blue Lake cut green beans, 4 sieve, 6 lb. 5 oz. cans
(UPC 5254952325)
ComSource Traditional brand, distributed by ComSource,
Atlanta
- Blue Lake cut green beans, mixed and short cut, 101 oz. (6
lb. 5 oz.) cans (UPC 5254952359)
- Blue Lake cut green beans, 4 sieve, 6 lb. 5 oz. cans (UPC 5254952427)
- Blue Lake cut green beans, 5 sieve, 6 lb. 5 oz. cans (UPC 5254952429)
Frosty Acres Restaurant's Pride Preferred brand, packed for
F.A.B.,
Inc., Alpharetta, Ga.
- Fancy Cut Blue Lake green beans, 3 sieve, 101 oz. (6 lb. 5
oz.) cans (UPC 4820067373)
- Cut Blue Lake green beans, 4 sieve, 101 oz. (6 lb. 5 oz.)
cans (UPC 4820067445)
- Blue Lake cut green beans, 5 sieve, 101 oz. (6 lb. 5 oz.)
cans (UPC 4820067451)
- Fancy cut Blue Lake green beans, 101 oz. (6 lb. 5 oz.)
cans (UPC 4820067339)
- Fancy cut Blue Lake green beans, 4 sieve, 101 oz. (6 lb. 5
oz.) cans (UPC 4820067446)
- Mixture of Blue Lake short cut, cut green beans, 101 oz.
(6 lb. 5 oz.) cans (UPC 4820068464)
- Fancy garbanzos "chick pea,” 111 oz. (6 lb. 15 oz.) cans (UPC 4820068264)
GFS brand, distributed by Gordon Food Service, Grand Rapids,
Mich.
- Fancy Blue Lake cut green beans, 4 sieve, (6 lb. 5 oz.)
cans, (UPC 9390111873)
- Blue Lake Cut green beans, mixed sieve, 6 lb. 5 oz. cans,
(UPC 9390127385).
- Fancy Mexican Style Chili Beans, 6 lb. 12 oz. cans, (UPC 9390119201. The recall is limited to 43 cases of product
with six cans per case of lot number 00249 5AJ6LC with a four-digit time
stamp number ranging from 2113 through 2235 printed on the end of the can
after the lot number (For example: 00249 5AJ6LC 2113.
Goodtaste brand, distributed by New Era Canning Co., New
Era, Mich.
- Cut green beans, 6 lb. 5 oz. cans (UPC 3683512340)
- Great Value Dark Red Kidney Beans, 15.5 oz. cans (UPC 7874237085. This recall is limited to 12 cases with 12 cans per case with lot
number 00249 CKJ6LD printed on the end of the can.
Harvest Value brand, distributed by U.S. Food Service,
Columbia, Md.
- Cut green beans, mixed and short cut, 101 oz. (6 lb. 5
oz.) cans (UPC 5810803534)
- Cut green beans, 101 oz. (6 lb. 5 oz.) cans (UPC
5810801047)
- Cut green beans, short cut, 101 oz. (6 lb. 5 oz.) cans (UPC 5810803538)
Kitchen brand, distributed by Potato Products, Detroit
- Blue Lake cut green beans, 5 sieve, EX.-STD., 6 lb. 6 oz.
cans (no UPC code).
Kitchen brand, distributed by North Oakland Commodities,
Grand Blanc, Mich.
- Blue Lake Mixed Cuts Green Beans, 6 lb. 6 oz. cans
Kitchen Essentials brand, distributed by Gordon Food
Service, Grand
Rapids, Mich.
- Cut green beans, mixed sieve, 6 lb. 6 oz. cans, (UPC 9390115633)
Monarch brand, distributed by Reid, Murdoch & Co., Columbia,
Md.
- Blue Lake cut green beans, extra fancy, 4 sieve, 101 oz.
(6 lb. 5 oz.) cans (UPC 5810811196)
- Fancy Blue Lake cut green beans, 3 sieve, 101 oz. (6 lb 5
oz) cans (UPC 5810801040)
Monarch Premium brand, packed for PYA/Monarch, Inc,
Greenville, S.C.
- Fancy Blue Lake cut green beans, 3 sieve, 6 lb. 5 oz. cans
(No UPC code)
Mount Stirling brand, distributed by Pocahonta Foods USA,
Richmond,
Va.
- Blue Lake cut green beans, 5 sieve, 6 lb. 5 oz. cans (UPC 4156033379)
Necco brand, packed by New Era Canning Co., New Era, Mich.
- Cut green beans, 6 lb. 6 oz. cans (UPC 3683513340)
New Era brand, distributed by New Era Canning Co., New Era,
Mich.
- Veri-Green cut green beans,102 oz. (6 lb. 6 oz.) cans (No
UPC code)
- Cut green beans, 108 oz. (6 lb. 12 oz.) cans (UPC
3683511340)
- Blue Lake cut green beans, 102 oz. (6 lb. 6 oz.) cans (No UPC code)
- Garbanzo beans, 108 oz. (6 lb. 12 oz.) cans (UPC
3683511684)
Nugget brand, distributed by Nugget, Atlanta
- Green beans, 4 sieve, 101 oz. (6lb. 5oz.) (UPC 4410540023)
- Cut green beans, 5 sieve, 6 lb. 5 oz. cans (UPC4410501930)
- Veri-green cut green beans, 6 lb. 12 oz. cans (UPC
4410502101)
- Mix ed short cut green beans, 6 lb. 5 oz. cans (UPC 4410518838)
- Blue Lake cut green beans, 4 sieve, 101 oz. (6 lb. 5 oz.)
cans (UPC 4410501989)
Pocahontas brand, distributed by Pocahontas Foods USA,
Richmond, Va.
- Fancy Blue Lake cut green beans, 4 sieve, 6 lb. 5 oz. cans
(UPC 4156010282)
- Fancy Blue Lake long cut green beans, 6 lb. 5 oz. cans (UPC 4156010325)
- Fancy Blue Lake green beans, 3 sieve, 6 lb. 5 oz. cans (UPC 4156010280)
Reliance Sysco, distributed by Sysco Corporation, Houston
- Mixed cut green beans, 101 oz. (6 lb. 5 oz.) cans (UPC 7486512175)
- Blue Lake cut green beans, 4 sieve, 101 oz. (6 lb. 5 oz.)
cans (UPC 7486512172)
- Blue Lake cut green beans, 5 sieve, 101 oz. (6 lb. 5 oz.)
cans (UPC 7486512174)
Sysco brand, distributed by Sysco Corporation, Houston
- Imperial Blue Lake cut green beans, 3 sieve, 6 lb. 5 oz.
cans (UPC 7486512136)
- Imperial Blue Lake cut green beans, 4 sieve, 6 lb. 5 oz.
cans (UPC 7486512137)
US brand, distributed by U.S. Food Service, Columbia, Md.
- Cut green beans, mixed sieve, 101 oz. (6 lb. 5 oz.) cans (UPC 5810801048)
- Fancy Blue Lake cut green beans, 101 oz. (6 lb. 5 oz.)
cans (UPC 5810811195)
- Fancy Blue Lake cut green beans, 3 sieve, 101 oz. (6 lb. 5
oz.) cans (UPC 5810801040)
- Fancy Blue Lake cut green beans, 4 sieve, 101 oz. (6 lb. 5
oz.) cans (UPC 5810801041)
- Cut green beans, 5 Sieve, 101 oz (6 lb 5 oz) cans (UPC 5810801042)
USDA, Food and Nutrition Service, Special
Nutrition Programs,
Alexandria, Va.
- Cut green beans, 6 lb. 6 oz. cans (UPC 1500101061)
- Garbanzo beans, 6 lb. 12 oz. cans (UPC code
1500101089)
Additional instructions for safe disposal or recalled
products can be
found at
www.cdc.gov/botulism/botulism_faq.htm. Consumers with
food safety questions also may call Daniel Rifkin of the
Department of Public Health and Environment’s Consumer
Protection
Division at 303-692-3644 |
