THOMASVILLE — Hundreds of cans of food products manufactured by Castleberry’s have been pulled from shelves in Thomasville, creating headaches for the Thomas County Food Bank, which will have to find meat substitutes to feed needy families.

The list of recalled products includes a number of canned foods, including hot dog chili sauce, corned beef hash, chili, Brunswick stew, other canned meat products — including pork, chicken and dog food. In addition to Castleberry’s Food Co. items, the recall also includes store and other brands.

The Georgia Department of Agriculture has alerted consumers to dozens of products that Castleberry’s has agreed to recall.

At the food bank, more than 200 24-ounce cans of Castleberry’s beef stew were pulled from the shelves last week, as were cans of chili, Brunswick stew and beef hash.

“We had quite a bit of Castleberry’s stuff on the shelves,” said Maryline Smith, president of the food bank’s board of directors. “What we did for safety reasons is pull it off the shelves.”

The beef stew was donated to the food bank by a food bank in Atlanta, volunteers at the food bank said Tuesday. About 180 families are served each week, so that represents one meat serving for each.

“That’s 200 meat meals we don’t have to give out,” food bank volunteer Kenlie bell said. “We still have a meat supply. It’s just that was a great supplement to what we get from USDA and our other sources.”

The food bank has enough of other meats to substitute, including tuna and bologna.

The Castleberry’s products were pulled last week.

Publix Super Markets also pulled products from the shelves last week after the recall, said store manager Leo Garcia, who estimated more than a hundred cans were pulled off shelves

“We abide by whatever the recall states,” he said. “We dispose of it.”

The recall initially included Castleberry’s, Austex and Kroger hot dog chili sauce but has been expanded. At first, only cans with the establishment number “EST. 195” were included, but the company agreed to expand the recall to include other products regardless of “best by” and code dates.

The Food and Drug Administration has warned consumers not to purchase or eat the canned products.

The recall was issued after two people in Texas and two in Indiana were hospitalized with botulism poisoning associated with eating Castleberry’s hot dog chili sauce, the Georgia Agriculture Department said. No illnesses have been associated with any of the other products that have been listed.

Botulism poisoning is potentially fatal and can cause paralysis of the breathing muscles resulting in death unless the victim receives breathing assistance, the Agriculture Department said. Symptoms of poisoning include double or blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, muscle weakness that begins in the shoulders and moves progressively down the body.

Anyone with those symptoms who has eaten any of the recalled products should seek immediate medical assistance.

For a full list of products included in the recall visit www.castleberrys.com.

Other sources of information are the company’s consumer hotline at 1-800-203-4412 or 1-888-203-8446 or FDA at 1-888-SAFEFOOD.



Reporter Alan Mauldin can be reached by calling (229) 226-2400, ext. 226.