Oregon stores carry recalled food.Byline: Tim Christie The Register-Guard More than 10 percent of the small stores Noun 1. small stores - personal items conforming to regulations that are sold aboard ship or at a naval base and charged to the person's pay commissary - a retail store that sells equipment and provisions (usually to military personnel) in Oregon inspected during the past week are still selling food linked to a botulism-based recall, state agriculture officials said Tuesday. Earlier this month, Castleberry's Food Co. began recalling more than 90 potentially contaminated contaminated, v 1. made radioactive by the addition of small quantities of radioactive material. 2. made contaminated by adding infective or radiographic materials. 3. an infective surface or object. products over fears of botulism botulism (bŏch`əlĭz'əm), acute poisoning resulting from ingestion of food containing toxins produced by the bacillus Clostridium botulinum. contami- nation. But, last week, the Food and Drug Administration notified the state Department of Agriculture that a nationwide audit found that 10 percent of stores still had Castleberry products on their shelves, said Lauren Henderson, an assistant director with the department. So, Sunday and Monday, the Agriculture Department dispatched its sanitarians to about 600 of the 3,800 mom-and-pop groceries and other small stores in Oregon. They found about 10 percent of stores were still selling the recalled products, Henderson said. "That's troubling for a number of reasons," said Dalton Hobbs, assistant director of the department. "Either folks haven't gotten the word ... (or) people may have bought this thinking that the product was safe to eat and may get into a serious situation." No cases of botulism poisoning have emerged in Oregon, but eight cases have been reported nationwide, Henderson said. The Agriculture Department sent letters out Tuesday to the 3,200 other stores not affiliated with larger chains, informing them of the recall and urging them to check their inventory. The Register-Guard conducted a telephone spot check with a handful of small stores around Lane County on Tuesday and found varying levels of awareness about the recall. "It's the first I heard about it. It's news to me," said Jim Bangert, owner of Deadwood Deadwood, city (1990 pop. 1,830), seat of Lawrence co., W S.Dak.; settled 1876 after discovery of gold. A Black Hills tourist center, it is also a trade hub for a lumbering, stock-raising, and mining region. Country Market, who said he planned to check into the recall. At Dave's Corner Market in Cottage Grove Cottage Grove, village (1990 pop. 22,935), Washington co., SE Minn., near the St. Croix River; inc. 1965. There is farming (cattle, sheep, corn, and soybeans) and manufacturing (chemicals and machinery). , clerk Leann Menke said the owner had earlier pulled all the Castleberry products off the shelves and posted the list of recalled products next to the cash register. Bid Van Loon loon, common name for migratory aquatic birds found in fresh- and saltwater in the colder parts of the Northern Hemisphere. Its strange, laughing call carries for great distances. Like the grebes, loons float low in the water and their legs are placed far back. , owner of the Curtin General Store, said he was not aware of the recall. Aaron Standridge, a clerk with Irving Market & Deli, said a health inspector came to the store last week and checked the inventory, but the store didn't carry any of the Castleberry brands. Jesse Singh, a clerk at Low Pass Market in Cheshire, said he was "pretty sure" the store didn't carry any of the offending products, but asked a reporter to mail him the list so he could make sure. The state didn't check stores owned by large chains, which have more sophisticated methods to detect and control recalled products. The Agriculture Department also worked with the state Parks Department to notify people parking in state campgrounds of the recall, Henderson said. The recall now covers two years' worth of production at the company's Augusta, Ga., plant - a tally that spirals into the tens of millions of cans. These include canned chili and chili sauces, stews, hash, corned beef and other items sold under several brand names and a dog food product. FDA FDA abbr. Food and Drug Administration FDA, n.pr See Food and Drug Administration. FDA, n.pr the abbreviation for the Food and Drug Administration. investigators believe Castleberry's failed to properly cook some or all the products, allowing the Clostridium botulinum Clostridium bot·u·li·num n. A bacterium that occurs widely in nature and is a cause of botulism; its six main types, A to F, are characterized by antigenically distinct but pharmacologically similar, very potent neurotoxins. bacteria to survive canning. In the oxygen-free and moist environment of the sealed cans, the bacteria thrive and produce a toxin that causes botulism, a muscle-paralyzing disease. 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. Swallowing even tiny traces of botulinum toxin Botulinum toxin (botulin) A neurotoxin made by Clostridium botulinum; causes paralysis in high doses, but is used medically in small, localized doses to treat disorders associated with involuntary muscle contraction and spasms, in addition to strabismus. can be lethal, the Oregon Department of Health said. Symptoms of botulism include double or blurred vision, drooping droop v. drooped, droop·ing, droops v.intr. 1. To bend or hang downward: "His mouth drooped sadly, pulled down, no doubt, by the plump weight of his jowls" eyelids eyelids, n.pl a moveable fold of thin skin over the eye. The orbicularis oculi muscle and the oculomotor nerve control the opening and closing of the eyelid. , slurred slur tr.v. slurred, slur·ring, slurs 1. To pronounce indistinctly. 2. To talk about disparagingly or insultingly. 3. To pass over lightly or carelessly; treat without due consideration. speech, difficulty swallowing and muscle weakness. Symptoms usually begin within one to three days of consuming contaminated food, although the effect is sometimes delayed. People who develop any of these symptoms should contact a physician immediately, the department said. People who have any of the recalled products at home should double-bag and throw them away, the FDA said. The Department of Agriculture wants businesses to take further steps when disposing of the product because if it is not left in a secured garbage bin, others may come in contact with it. Because of the high percentage of problems with the smaller stores, the state is sending letters to all small stores with instructions about the detection and disposal of the products. Castleberry's has hired a company to collect the recalled products from stores. The Associated Press contributed to this report BOTULISM RECALL Castleberry's Food Co. has recalled more than 90 products that could be contaminated with botulism. To see the list and learn more, go to: Castleberry's: www.castleberrys.com The U.S. Food and Drug Administration: www.fda.gov The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), agency of the U.S. Public Health Service since 1973, with headquarters in Atlanta; it was established in 1946 as the Communicable Disease Center. : www.cdc.gov Oregon Department of Agriculture: www.oregon.gov/ODA |
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