The public warning issued on March 15, 2013 has been expanded to include additional products because the products may be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is warning the public not to consume the Bar Clams and Bar Clam Stew described below because they may be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum. Toxins produced by these bacteria may cause botulism, a life-threatening illness.

The CFIA is monitoring the effectiveness of the recall.

Affected products:

Brand Name

Common Name

Size

Codes(s) on Product

UPC

St.Thomas

 Bar Clams 210 g (drained weight) Located on the cover of the jar – 03631, 03632, 03834, 03835, 03933, 03934, 03935, 03936, 03938, 05231, 05232, 05233, 05331, 05332, 05333, 05334, 05431, 05432, 05433, 05931, 05934 0 81971 90013 1

St.Thomas

 Bar Clams 100 g (drained weight) Located on the cover of the jar – 01235, 02131 0 81971 90071 1

St.Thomas

 Bar Clam Stew 495g (17 oz) Located on the cover of the jar – 05831, 05832, 05932 05933 0 81971 90058 8

Jars of bar clams sold in P.E.I. and New Brunswick may contain the toxin that causes botulism, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has warned.

St. Thomas Fish Market in New Brunswick is voluntarily recalling its product, St. Thomas bar clams, because they may contain Clostridium botulinum.

Toxins produced by the bacteria can cause botulism, a life-threatening illness.

There have been no illnesses reported, said the agency.

Food contaminated with these bacteria might not look or smell spoiled.

Symptoms include vomiting, blurred vision, slurred speech and muscle paralysis. Anyone with concerns should call their physician.

A committee of advisors to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has given its stamp of approval to an antitoxin designed to treat patients with botulism.

In a unanimous decision announced last week, the 18-member Blood Products Advisory Committee voted to recommend the heptavalent botulinum antitoxin (HBAT), developed by a Canadian pharmaceutical company, to the federal agency for approval.

HBAT is the only botulinum antitoxin currently available for use in the U.S. It is currently an investigational product controlled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Doctors must seek approval from CDC in order to administer HBAT to patients.

The antibodies contained in HBAT target all seven known types of botulinum toxins, which attack the nervous system of infected individuals and can cause paralysis or even death.

These neurotoxins infect humans through wounds or contaminated food, and have also been identified as a potential agent of biological warfare.

The drug, developed by Cangene Corporation of Fort Garry, Winnipeg, works to prevent internalization of the toxin in the nerves.

It was used on 148 patients in the U.S. between January of 2008 and December of 2012 at part of CDC’s trial program, according to the company’s briefing document for the committee. Adminisration of HBAT within two days of symptom onset significantly reduced the duration of hospitalization for patients.

FDA will decide whether to approve HBAT for licensing, under the proprietary name BAT™, in March of this year.

ZIP International Group LLC is recalling Dry Salted Fish (bream) because the product was found to be uneviscerated, and has the potential to be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum, a bacterium which can cause life-threatening illness or death. Consumers are warned not to use the product even if it does not look or smell spoiled.

Botulism, a potentially fatal form of food poisoning, can cause the following symptoms: general weakness, dizziness, double-vision and trouble with speaking or swallowing. Difficulty in breathing, weakness of other muscles, abdominal distension and constipation may also be common symptoms. People experiencing these problems should seek immediate medical attention.

The recalled product, Dry Salted Fish (bream) was distributed by East Coast Foods Inc. Brooklyn, NY via delivery to retail stores and wholesalers in September 2012.

The recalled product, Dry Salted Fish (bream) is packaged in vacuum sealed packaging labeled “Astrakhansky Lesh” (Dry Salted Fish Eviscerated) weight 14.2oz. Bar Code 835856001228 is located on the top right corner of the package. The recalled product, Dry Salted Fish (bream) is a product of Russia.

No illnesses have been reported to date.

Dry Salted Fish(bream) was sampled by the New York State Department of Agriculture during inspection. Subsequent analysis of the product by New York State Food Laboratory personnel confirmed that the Dry Salted Fish (bream) was not properly eviscerated prior to processing.

The sale of uneviscerated fish is prohibited under New York State Agriculture and Markets regulations because Clostridium botulinum spores are more likely to be concentrated in the viscera than any other portion of the fish. Uneviscerated fish have been linked to outbreaks of botulinum poisioning.

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is warning consumers not to eat “Sister Sara’s Good for You” products because they may have been improperly produced, making them susceptible to contamination with Clostridium botulinum.

No illnesses have been linked to any of the affected products at this time. The products were sold at certified farmers markets in Alameda County.

Sister Sara of Pleasanton, CA., is voluntarily recalling the products after CDPH discovered they were produced without the required controls to prevent formation of botulism toxin. Ingestion of botulism toxin from improperly processed foods can lead to serious illness and death.

These products were sold under the Sister Sara label and packaged in one-pint glass canning jars with screw-on metal lids. The products were labeled as “Sister Sara’s Good for You Soup,” “Sister Sara’s Bread & Butter Pickles,” “Sister Sara’s Pickled Beets,” and “Sister Sara’s Old Fashioned Dill Pickles.” These products do not contain production or date codes. Additional product information, including photos of affected products, can be found on the CDPH website.

Botulism toxin is odorless and colorless. Symptoms generally begin 18- to-36 hours after eating contaminated food, but can occur as early as six hours, or as late as ten days. Symptoms typically begin with blurred or double vision, followed by trouble speaking and swallowing, progressing to muscle weakness that starts in the upper body. Botulism can lead to life-threatening paralysis of the muscles used in breathing. People experiencing these symptoms should seek immediate medical attention.

True Taste, LLC of Kenosha is recalling its vacuum packaged Hot Smoked Rainbow Trout, Hot Smoked Whitefish, Hot Smoked Herring, Hot Smoked Mackerel, Hot Smoked Salmon Steak, Cold Smoked Mackerel, and Cold Smoked Whitefish because they have the potential to be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum, a bacterium which can cause lifethreatening illness or death. Consumers are warned not to use the product even if it does not look or smell spoiled.

Botulism, a potentially fatal form of food poisoning, can cause the following symptoms: general weakness, dizziness, double-vision and trouble with speaking or swallowing. Difficulty in breathing, weakness of other muscles, abdominal distension and constipation may also be common symptoms. People experiencing these problems should seek immediate medical attention.

The recalled product is vacuum packaged and can be identified with either the True Taste Label in Clifornia and Illinois or the Lowell Foods Label in Illinois. The recalled product has a white sticker applied to the package with two sets of numbers. The first set of numbers represent the date of processing the second set of numbers represents the best if used by date. This recall includes all production dates beginning on 01/01/2012 through current.

No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this recall.

S&M International Inc, Bayonne, NJ is recalling Yang Sheng cooked salted duck eggs, because it has the potential to be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum, a bacterium which can cause serious life-threating illness or death. Consumers are warned not to use the product even if it does not look smelled or spoiled.

Botulism, a potentially fatal form of food poisoning, can cause the following symptoms: general weakness, dizziness, double-vision and trouble with speaking or swallowing. Difficulty in breathing, weakness of other muscles, abdominal distention and constipation may also be common symptoms. People experiencing these problems should seek medical attention.

The recalled eggs were distributed between August to October 2012 to stores and markets located in New York City area, PA, VA, MI. This product is vacuum packed in plastic with six eggs per 12.69oz.package. UPC code 6949682803568. The lot code is YS12-02C, printed on the product boxes.

The recall was initiated after it was discovered through NYSDAM Sampling which revealed the product was not processed in a manner to prevent growth of Clostridium botulinum. S&M International Inc reached the decision to recall this product after a thorough investigation. The company has taken a number of corrective steps to address the issue.

True Taste, LLC of Kenosha, WI, is recalling it’s vacuum packaged Hot Smoked Rainbow Trout, Hot Smoked Whitefish, Hot Smoked Herring, Hot Smoked Mackerel, Hot Smoked Salmon Steak, Cold Smoked Mackerel, and Cold Smoked Whitefish because they have the potential to be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum, a bacterium which can cause life- threatening illness or death. Consumers are warned not to use the product even if it does not look or smell spoiled.

The recalled product is vacuum packaged and can be identified with either the True Taste Label in CA and IL or the Lowell Foods Label in IL. The recalled product has a white sticker applied to the package with two sets of numbers. The first set of numbers represent the date of processing the second set of numbers represents the best if used by date. This recall includes all production dates beginning on 01/01/2012 through current.

No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this recall.

The potential for contamination was identified after routine samples collected by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection found that the product did not meet the 3.5% minimum requirement for water phase salt. The sample analysis reported water phase salt concentrations of 2.2% (hot smoked white fish); 3.0% (hot smoked herring); and 3.4% (hot smoked rainbow trout).

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is warning consumers not to eat Harry’s Berries Salsa (mild or hot flavors) or Harry’s Berries Dilled Beans, packed by Gean Farms, Inc., because they may have been improperly produced, making them susceptible to contamination with Clostridium botulinum. No illnesses have been linked to any of the affected products at this time.

Gean Farms, Inc., of Oxnard, California, is voluntarily recalling the products after CDPH discovered they were produced without the required controls to prevent botulism toxin. Ingestion of botulism toxin from improperly processed foods can lead to serious illness and death.

These products were sold under the Gean Farms, Inc. label and packaged in one-pint glass canning jars with screw-on metal lids, labeled as “Harry’s Berries Salsa” and “Harry’s Berries Dilled Beans.” These products do not contain production or date codes. Additional product information, including photos of affected products, can be found on the CDPH website.

The products were sold between May 2011 and November 2012 at certified farmers markets in Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties.

Botulism toxin is odorless and colorless. Symptoms generally begin 18- to-36 hours after eating contaminated food, but can occur as early as six hours, or as late as ten days. Symptoms typically begin with blurred or double vision, followed by trouble speaking and swallowing, progressing to muscle weakness that starts in the upper body. Botulism can lead to life-threatening paralysis of the muscles used in breathing.

A total of 8 inmates from a maximum-security prison in Arizona were hospitalized with suspected botulism poisoning after apparently drinking homemade alcohol, authorities said on Monday, 26 Nov 2012.  7 of the inmates, whose names were not released, were being treated in intensive care with a special antitoxin after being admitted to the hospital on Saturday and Sunday, 24-25 Nov 2012, Pinal County spokeswoman Heather Murphy said.

“All of them are unable to breathe on their own right now because of the paralysis caused by the botulism,” Murphy said. The condition of the 8th prisoner was not known.

Officials said the inmates, who range from 20 to 35 years old, were apparently poisoned from drinking contraband alcohol made inside the prison from fermented fruit, a brew commonly called pruno. The inmates were assigned to a special management unit at the state prison complex in Florence, Arizona. Prison and county health officials were monitoring other prisoners in the same area for possible additional cases.

This is the 2nd time in nearly 4 months that inmates at the Arizona prison have apparently contracted botulism from prison-made alcohol. In August 2012, 4 prisoners were hospitalized after contracting the illness.