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CanoeThursday, November 23, 2000
Heinz recalls canned beans
TORONTO (CP) -- Heinz Canada announced a recall Thursday of a specific type of canned beans.
The recall applies to Heinz 14-oz Original Beans in Tomato Sauce, with a bright green label.
The company took the voluntary action after finding that some cans may not have been processed to prevent the presence of a bacterium called Clostridium botulinum, which can produce a nerve toxin that causes botulism.
Botulism is a rare, but serious paralytic illness that can be fatal. For instance, there were 18 cases of botulism in Canada in 1997, one resulting in death.
Classic symptoms of the disease include double vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, dry mouth and muscle weakness. Infants suffering from botulism often appear lethargic, are constipated, feed poorly and have a weak muscle tone.
In food-borne botulism, symptoms generally begin 18 to 36 hours after eating a contaminated food, but they can occur as early as six hours or as late as 10 days.
If diagnosed early, food-borne botulism can be treated with antitoxins.
Heinz has not received any reports of illnesses resulting from the affected cans.
Consumers who have already purchased the beans, with UPC code 057000007034 and an eight-digit date code beginning with 2420, can exchange the beans where they were purchased.
Heinz is asking all of its retail customers to remove the affected beans from their shelves, and has advised the Canadian Food Inspection Agency of the voluntary recall.
For more information call Heinz Canada at 1-800-268-6641.
-- Rachel Gibson (rgibson@hotmail.com), November 23, 2000
CBCThu Nov 23, 7:29 pm
Botulism threat prompts recall of canned food
Hundreds of thousands of cans of beans and soup are being recalled from Canadian store because of fears about the possibility of botulism.
Several soups and one variety of Heinz beans are being pulled from shelves because the food was not cooked thoroughly and could cause botulism.
Botulism can cause paralysis of the muscles and can be life-threatening. There were 18 cases of botulism in Canada in 1997, one resulting in death.
RELATED: Details on the soup recall RELATED: Details on the Heinz recall
Symptoms of botulism include double vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, dry mouth and muscle weakness.
Heinz says it's voluntarily recalling some 14-ounce cans of "Original Beans in Tomato Sauce" as a precaution, even though there have been no reports of consumers becoming ill after eating them.
The baked beans were packed one day in August, when some equipment wasn't working properly.
Customers are being told to look for UPC 057000007034 on the product's bright green label. There will also be an eight-digit code on one end of the can, starting with 2420.
Meanwhile, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency is warning people not to consume several brands and varieties of soups manufactured by Les Produits Freddy Inc.
The soups, available in 10-ounce cans, were also underprocessed and pose a risk of exposure to botulism.
The soups involved include the following:
Prepared For Brand Name Product Name UPC Sunfresh Limited No Name Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup UPC 0 60383 03539 6 No Name Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup UPC 0 60383 03541 9 No Name Condensed Cream of Celery Soup UPC 0 60383 05963 7 No Name Condensed Vegetable Soup prepared with Beef Broth UPC 0 60383 01084 3 The Great Atlantic and Pacific Company of Canada Ltd. Equality Cream of Mushroom Condensed Soup UPC 0 57627 26290 8 Equality Cream of Chicken Condensed Soup UPC 0 57627 26287 8 Equality Cream of Celery Condensed Soup UPC 0 57627 26291 8 Freddychef Inc. Tasty Classics Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup UPC 61202 12854 Tasty Classics Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup UPC 61202 23054 Tasty Classics Condensed Cream of Celery Soup UPC 0 61202 23154 8 The Atlantic Signal Company Inc. Smart Choice Cream of Mushroom Condensed Soup UPC 0 55742 27432 5 Signal Cream of Mushroom Condensed Soup UPC 0 41303 61514 0 Signal Cream of Chicken Condensed Soup UPC 0 41303 61518 8 Shurfine International Inc. Shurfine Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup UPC 0 11161 30950 5 Shurfine Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup UPC 0 11161 30951 2 GT Wholesale Ltd. Giant Tiger Condensed Cream of Celery Soup UPC 0 74223 01926 2
The soups have been distributed across the country. People who bought the canned food can return it for a full refund.
Health experts have pointed out that not all contaminated food looks or tastes bad. In the case of botulism, eating something improperly prepared can be fatal.
-- Rachel Gibson (rgibson@hotmail.com), November 23, 2000.
CBCFri Nov 24, 11:56 pm
Canadian botulism fear spreads to U.S.
A botulism scare that prompted the recall of thousands of cans of soup and beans in Canada has caused a similar alert in the United States.
On Friday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned consumers not to buy or eat several types of canned soup made in Quebec.
The products, made by Les Produits Freddy Inc. of St-Hyacinthe, Que. may contain Clostridium botulinum, which can kill people.
Some cans of cream of mushroom, cream of chicken, and cream of celery soups may have been improperly prepared, according to the company.
Les Produits Freddy Inc. has already begun a voluntary recall in Canada.
In the United States, the soups were sold at stores across the country under various brand names, including Stop & Shop, Tasty Classics, Baron, and Wegmans.
They were all packaged in 10 3/4 fluid ounce cans. Consumers with concerns or questions have been advised to contact the manufacturer at 1-888-797-3210.
In Canada, grocery staff began pulling hundreds of thousands of cans of beans and soup from Canadian stores Thursday because of fears about the possibility of botulism.
Several Les Produits Freddy soups and one variety of Heinz beans were recalled because the food was not cooked thoroughly and could contain dangerous bacteria.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency issued the following list of soups that should be returned to stores:
Prepared For Brand Name Product Name UPC Sunfresh Limited No Name Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup UPC 0 60383 03539 6 No Name Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup UPC 0 60383 03541 9 No Name Condensed Cream of Celery Soup UPC 0 60383 05963 7 No Name Condensed Vegetable Soup prepared with Beef Broth UPC 0 60383 01084 3 The Great Atlantic and Pacific Company of Canada Ltd. Equality Cream of Mushroom Condensed Soup UPC 0 57627 26290 8 Equality Cream of Chicken Condensed Soup UPC 0 57627 26287 8 Equality Cream of Celery Condensed Soup UPC 0 57627 26291 8 Freddychef Inc. Tasty Classics Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup UPC 61202 12854 Tasty Classics Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup UPC 61202 23054 Tasty Classics Condensed Cream of Celery Soup UPC 0 61202 23154 8 The Atlantic Signal Company Inc. Smart Choice Cream of Mushroom Condensed Soup UPC 0 55742 27432 5 Signal Cream of Mushroom Condensed Soup UPC 0 41303 61514 0 Signal Cream of Chicken Condensed Soup UPC 0 41303 61518 8 Shurfine International Inc. Shurfine Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup UPC 0 11161 30950 5 Shurfine Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup UPC 0 11161 30951 2 GT Wholesale Ltd. Giant Tiger Condensed Cream of Celery Soup UPC 0 74223 01926 2
Botulism can cause paralysis and death. There were 18 cases of of the illness in Canada in 1997, including one fatality.
RELATED: Details on the soup recall RELATED: Details on the Heinz recall
Symptoms of botulism include double vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, dry mouth and muscle weakness.
If diagnosed quickly enough, botulism from food can usually be treated with drugs.
Heinz voluntarily recalled some 14-ounce cans of "Original Beans in Tomato Sauce" as a precaution, even though there were no reports of consumers becoming ill after eating them.
The baked beans were packed one day in August, when some equipment wasn't working properly.
Customers have been told to look for UPC 057000007034 on the product's bright green label. There will also be an eight-digit code on one end of the can, starting with 2420.
The beans and soups have been distributed across Canada. People who bought the canned food can return it for a full refund.
Health experts have pointed out that not all contaminated food looks or tastes bad. In the case of botulism, eating something improperly prepared can be fatal.
-- Rachel Gibson (rgibson@hotmail.com), November 25, 2000.