Michigan Firm Expands Recall of Canned Vegetable Products for Possible
Contamination with Bacteria Causing Botulism
February 8, 2008—Denver—State consumer protection
officials Friday announced that New
Era Canning Company of New Era, Mich., is again expanding a
voluntary
recall to include all canned vegetable products in large
(No. 10) cans
because they may be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum,
a bacterium
that can cause life-threatening illness or death from
botulism.
The affected New Era products include various types of
beans,
black-eyed peas and asparagus in large industrial-sized cans
weighing
between 6 and 7 pounds.
Daniel Rifkin, Wholesale Food Program manager for the
Colorado
Department of Public Health and Environment’s Consumer
Protection
Division, said the products still could be in consumers’
pantries and
should not be consumed, but returned or discarded. The
canned vegetables were distributed by the company to retail
and
institutional establishments nationwide, including some in
Colorado. To
date, no illnesses in Colorado have been reported to the
U.S. Food and
Drug Administration (FDA). However, consumers should not
consume these
products, even if they appear to be normal, because of the
potential
serious risk to health.
The potentially contaminated products are marketed under
the following
ten brand names:
- Classic Sysco
- Code
- Frosty Acres Restaurant’s Pride Preferred
- GFS
- Kitchen Essentials
- Monarch Heritage
- Necco
- New Era
- Nugget
- Reliance Sysco
Rifkin said processors other than New Era may be
packing these brands.
However, only products packed by New Era are subject to
the recall, so
individuals must check the lot numbers on the bottom of the
cans to
determine if the product is affected by the recall. A
complete list of
specific brands, products and lot codes subject to the New
Era recalls
can be found at
www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/newera.html
or by
calling Daniel Rifkin at 303-692-3644. Rifkin said that consumers trying to determine if a
particular
product is recalled should check to see if it is one of the
specific
brands and products on the recall list at the above link. If
so, they
should check to see if the product’s lot number matches any
of those
listed on the site. Lot numbers may be numbers and/or
letters and are
either stamped into the metal or printed in ink on the ends
of the metal
cans. Rifkin also advised consumers to double-bag the cans in
plastic bags
when tossing them. “Make certain the bags are tightly
closed, and then
place the bags in a trash receptacle for nonrecyclable trash
outside of
the home. Do not puncture or otherwise open cans prior to
disposal, and
take particular care 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. Additional instructions for safe disposal may be found at
www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/botulism_g.htm . Anyone
with
questions may call the FDA at 1-888-SAFEFOOD. 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 or blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred
speech,
difficulty swallowing and muscle weakness that moves
progressively down
the body. Shoulders are affected first, followed by 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
s
eek immediate medical attention,” urged Rifkin.
This recall is the most recent to result from an ongoing
investigation
of New Era Canning’s processing plant by the FDA and the
Michigan
Department of Agriculture. The FDA initiated an inspection
of New Era
Canning, along with inspections of other low-acid canned
food
manufacturers, following four cases of botulism in consumers
who had
consumed canned hot dog chili sauce in the summer of 2007.
Consumers with food safety questions or those needing
clarification
about whether a product they have is part of the recall may
call Rifkin
at 303-692-3644, or their local health department. |
