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Castleberry’s Expands Voluntary Recall of Hot Dog Chili Sauce and Canned Meat Products

Contact:
Doug McGraw, Fleishman-Hillard
(212) 453-2202

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE --AUGUSTA, Ga. – July 21, 2007 – Castleberry’s Food Company today announced that it is taking extra steps to ensure public safety by voluntarily expanding its recall originally announced on July 18 due to the risk ofbotulinum toxin, a bacterium which can cause botulism.

Botulism 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 recall originally announced on July 18 affected only 10 products with ‘best by’ dates from APR30 2009 through MAY22 2009. The extended recall now includes the following canned products in the following sizes with all ‘best by’ and code dates:

In addition, the following canned Natural Balance brand pet food products, which Castleberry’s co-packs for Natural Balance, are being recalled. These include:

Consumers should not use these products even if they do not look or smell spoiled. Consumers with these products should dispose of them by double bagging in plastic bags that are tightly closed before being placed in a trash receptacle for non-recyclable trash outside of the home, according to the Food and Drug Administration. Additional instructions for safe disposal can be found at www.cdc.gov/botulism/botulism_faq.htm.

“There is nothing more important to us than the health of those who use our products every day,” said Steve Mavity, SVP Technical Services/Quality Assurance for Castleberry’s. “We are taking every step necessary, and are working hand in hand with health officials around the clock to ensure the safety of consumers.”

Mavity said, “We believe we have isolated the issue to a situation of under-processing on one line of our production facility. As an extra precaution to the recall we announced on Wednesday, we have shut down this line altogether and are recalling all products produced on it.”

Castleberry’s is working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to investigate possible contamination of these products.

Castleberry’s was notified by the FDA of two confirmed botulism cases and two potential botulism cases involving individuals who ate Hot Dog Chili Sauce products. No new cases have been reported since the recall was announced on July 18.

There have been no reported illnesses linked to Natural Balance canned pet food, but Castleberry’s recommends that all these products should be discarded. While botulism can affect some pets, dogs and cats are inherently resistant. The disease has only been seen occasionally in dogs and has not been reported in cats. Ferrets are highly susceptible to botulinum toxin. The incubation period can be two hours to two weeks; in most cases, the symptoms appear after 12 to 24 hours. Botulism is characterized by progressive motor paralysis. Typical clinical signs may include muscle paralysis, difficulty breathing, chewing and swallowing, visual disturbances and generalized weakness may also occur. Death usually results from paralysis of the respiratory or cardiac muscles. Pet owners who have used these products and whose pets have these symptoms should contact their veterinarian immediately.

Consumers with any questions should visit Castleberry’s Web site (www.castleberrys.com). A toll-free hotline is also available for consumer questions at 1-800-203-4412 or 1-888-203-8446.

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