Update August 6, 2007
Lakeside recalls green beans
On the heels of the Castleberry's canned-food recall last month (see below), the federal Food and Drug Administration recently posted a notice of recall for canned French-style green beans processed by Lakeside Foods, Inc. The company recalled the beans out of concern that a production error in May might have left beans in some cans undercooked or leaking.

Although no illnesses have been reported and no botulinum toxin has been found in any cans tested to date, Lakeside Foods initiated a voluntary recall of 15,000 cases of 14.5-ounce French Style Green Beans.

Consumers should return identified cans unopened to the place of purchase. Consumers are also warned not to use the product even if it does not look or smell spoiled.

Although New Hampshire was not listed in the state distribution list, consumers should check Lakeside's website for specific can codes. Anyone with questions may contact the company at 1-800-466-3834 Ext 4090. Code and label information will also be posted on their Web site www.lakesidefoods.com.

If you have severely dented cans of food, or cans dented on the bottom or side seam, discard the can. Also discard any cans with severe rust, bulging lids or leaks. Don't open or puncture cans that need to be discarded. Wear rubber or latex gloves when handling open containers of food that you think may be contaminated. Wash hands with soap and running water for at least 2 minutes after handling food or containers that may be contaminated.

Dispose of cans by placing in a sealable bag, wrapping another plastic bag around the sealable bag, and then taping tightly. Place bags in a trash receptacle for non-recyclable trash outside the home and out of reach of humans and pets.

When a foodborne illness makes people sick, the media quickly spread the word. This rapid communication helps protect public health by making consumers aware of the food to avoid.

The most recent headlines featured botulism, a very rare but serious illness caused by the toxin produced by the bacterium, Clostridium botulinum. Improperly prepared home-canned foods cause most cases of botulism.

In the recent botulism outbreak, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration confirmed that two of the cases and two potential cases involved individuals becoming sick after eating products canned by Castleberry's Food Co.

By July 25, the product recall had widened to more than 80 canned goods for people and four products for pets. All of those products, which include brands of chili sauce, chili, beef stew, and corned beef hash, are made by Castleberry's Food Co., but they bear various brand names.

Although investigation of the contamination is still underway, under-processing of the canned foods is a possible cause. As a result, Castleberry's has shut down a production line and recalled all products produced on it.

Symptoms of botulism
The botulinum toxin is highly toxic and can cause life-threatening illness and death. Symptoms of foodborne botulism usually appear 18 to 36 hours after eating a contaminated food, but they can begin as early as six hours or as late as 10 days.

Classic symptoms include double vision, blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, dry mouth, and muscle weakness. If untreated, muscle weakness caused by the botulinum toxin can lead to paralysis of the arms, legs, trunk and respiratory muscles.

Paralysis of respiratory muscles can cause a person to stop breathing and die, unless the victim receives help breathing from mechanical ventilation.

Proper canning destroys botulinum spores
Clostridium botulinum grows best in low-oxygen, low-acid environments and at temperatures between 40°F and 120°F. Commercially canned foods or home-canned foods that haven't been processed correctly provide a perfect environment for botulism to grow.

The canning process removes oxygen from the container and allows their contents to reach a temperature high enough to destroy the spores formed by the botulism bacteria. If canned foods are under-processed and the spores survive, the spores will have the low-oxygen, low-acid environment they need to grow into vegetative cells, eventually producing the deadly toxin.

To prevent botulism:

• Discard all cans or jars of food with bulging or swollen ends, or bulging lids.
• Don't eat food from severely dented cans.
• Don't taste food from swollen containers, even if the food doesn't look or smell spoiled.
• Discard food that is foamy, moldy, or that has a bad odor or an off color.
• Follow current USDA canning guidelines when canning food at home.
• Can low-acid foods (low-acid vegetables and meats) in a pressure canner (to reach temperatures above boiling) for the recommended time for the size of jar you are using.
• Don't can low-acid foods in the oven, or in a water-bath, open kettle or vegetable cooker.
• Before eating home-canned, low-acid foods, heat to a rolling boil, then cover and boil corn, spinach and meats for 20 minutes and all other home-canned low-acid food for 10 minutes before tasting.
• When in doubt, throw it out. Follow CDC instructions for safe disposal of contaminated food.

Use a safe pressure canner for low-acid foods
If you have questions about safe home canning, using a pressure canner, or having the gauge on your pressure canner tested, call the Family & Consumer Resources educator in your county Extension office, or the Family, Home & Garden Education Center at 1-877-398-4769, Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

For more information:
Safe home canning
Questions on the Castleberry's product recall

By Alice Mullen, UNH Cooperative Extension Family & Consumer Resources educator