Do you eat tinned meat? If you do, you need to read this article… now! A huge recall is underway, after some cases of botulism related to canned meat products.
 Botulism is a rare illness with serious consequences. Itâs caused by a toxin thatâs released by bacteria called âClostridium botulinum.â These bacteria usually reside in soil. But they sometimes make their way into food — which is when they become dangerous. The toxins from these bacteria can cause muscle paralysis in the human body. Even the muscles in the lungs can be affected, so you can imagine how serious this can become.
 This latest contamination came to light when several people in the U.S. were diagnosed with botulism. There have been two people in Indiana and two in Texas. All are currently still seriously ill. The botulism was traced back to products made by Castleberryâs Food Company. This company is based in Augusta, Georgia.
 Originally, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned people not to eat some specific brand of chili sauce with certain âbest byâ dates. These were 10-ounce cans of âCastleberryâs Hot Dog Chili Sauce,â âAustex Hot Dog Chili Sauce,â and âKroger Hot Dog Chili Sauce.â The âbest byâ dates were those ranging from April 30, 2009 through May 22, 2009.
 In an updated warning, the FDA added some more items to the list. These are 10-ounce cans of: — âAustex Onion Hot Dog Chili Sauceâ — âCastleberryâs Onion Hot Dog Chili Sauceâ — âCastleberryâs Bunker Hill Hot Dog Chili Sauceâ — âMeijer Hot Dog Chili Sauceâ — âFood Lion Hot Dog Chili Sauceâ — âBloom Hot Dog Chili Sauceâ — âThrifty Maid Hot Dog Chili Sauce.â
 There are also some dog food products on the list. These are 15-ounce tins of: — âIrish Stew with Beef Dog Foodâ — âChinese Take Out with Sauce with Vegetables and Chicken Dog Foodâ — âSouthern Style Dumplings with Gravy with Chicken and Vegetables Dog Foodâ — âHOBO Chili with Chicken & Pasta Dog Food.â
 Castleberryâs has issued a voluntary recall on all of these products. The known cases of illness are only linked to the first warning. However, some FDA testing and inspections prompted the second warning. It is believed that processing malfunctions are behind the contamination. Castleberryâs has decided to recall even more products to be on the safe side.
 Every year, there are approximately 110 cases of botulism reported in the U.S. Out of these, only 25% are caused by contaminated food. The rest are found in people with infected wounds and in infants. The symptoms are, of course, associated with the paralysis of muscles in different body parts. Some signs are overall muscle weakness, sudden vision problems, droopy eyelids, dry mouth, and difficulty speaking or swallowing. If you have any of these symptoms and believe that you might have eaten a contaminated food product, seek emergency medical attention right away. Symptoms can occur between six hours and two weeks after eating contaminated food.