Beware of bursting cans

The fun food season continues: Canned food products from Castleberry Foods are literally bursting with botulism. The label is not a familiar one to me; it seems to be found at smaller mom and pop stores, as well as grocers like Food Lion, Kroger, and Piggly Wiggly.

The bursting cans were among those being held by Castleberry's Food Co., which last week announced a massive recall that now includes more than 90 potentially contaminated products, including chili sauces and dog foods.

News about the bursting cans gives new urgency to warnings from federal health officials to get rid of the recalled cans from pantries and store shelves. [...]

Four people have been sickened and hospitalized by the contaminated food, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The recall covers potentially tens of millions of cans of food; officials fear the tally will grow.

FDA investigators believe Castleberry Food failed to properly cook some or all the products, allowing the Clostridium botulinum bacteria to survive the canning process.

The bacteria produce a toxin that causes botulism, a muscle-paralyzing disease.

"We're not talking here about a bug that lands you in the bathroom for a few days with diarrhea. We're talking about a toxin that puts you in the intensive care unit," said Dr. David Acheson, the FDA's lead food safety expert. "This is foodborne illness with an extra kick in it, big time."

A word to the wise regarding handling:

As the bacteria grow and reproduce, they produce gases that can cause contaminated cans to swell and burst. Health officials say the extremely potent toxin can infect people if it is inhaled, swallowed or absorbed through the eye or breaks in the skin.

"The longer this stuff stays in the can, the worse it gets," Acheson said.

A Slashfood post links to several lists of recalled Castleberry products. The list at the food company's website seems to be the most inclusive.

(Cross-posted.)