On July 18, 2007 the FDA recalled several brands of hot dog chili sauce after discovering it may be contaminated with botulism. On July 21, 2007, the FDA updated its recall to include additional brands as well as some dog food. The list contains five brands of Castleberry sauce, one Kroger brand of sauce, one Meijer brand of sauce, one Food Lion brand of sauce, one Bloom brand of sauce and one Thrifty Maid brand of sauce. The recall also includes the following dog foods: Irish Stew with Beef Dog Food, Chinese Take Out with Sauce with Vegetable and Chicken Dog Food, Southern Style Dumplings with Gravy with Chicken and Vegetables Dog Food and Hobo Chili with Chicken Pasta Dog Food. Any cans, regardless of the "best by" date should be discarded immediately. Botulism is a serious illness and can lead to death. Symptoms of botulism include the following:
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.
The symptoms may appear anywhere from 6 hours after the poisoning up to 2 weeks. If you believe you have been poisoned by the contaminated food contact an attorney immediately so your legal rights may be protected. If you still have the food in your possession that caused the illness, keep it in a safe place and do not discard it.
