State public health director warns consumers not to eat recalled beans that may cause botulism

Recalled green beans and garbanzo beans confirmed to be distributed in Illinois  

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – State public health director, Dr. Damon T. Arnold, is warning consumers not to eat cans of green beans and garbanzo beans recalled by New Era Canning Company because they may cause botulism. New Era Canning Company is recalling all cans of #10 green beans and garbanzo beans (large cans containing between six and seven pounds) because they may have been processed under conditions which could have led to production of botulinum toxin, which can cause life-threatening illness or death.

“The Illinois Department of Public Health has confirmed the recalled green beans have been distributed in Illinois. I want to make sure every school, restaurant, hospital, nursing home and any place that serves food, as well as individual consumers who may buy in bulk, check for the recalled cans of green beans and garbanzo beans and return them to the store where they bought them. Botulism can be fatal and is not something to be taken lightly,” said Dr. Arnold.

Symptoms of botulism poisoning in humans usually begins six to 36 hours after consumption of contaminated food but occasionally can appear up to two weeks later. Symptoms include double vision, blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing and muscle weakness that moves progressively down the body. Botulism poisoning can also cause paralysis of the breathing muscles, which can result in death. If a person has consumed the recalled beans and develops any of the symptoms above, contact your physician immediately.

The codes on the affected product begin with the numbers “00249” or the letter “GREEN” or “GARB.” The recall only affects the products in the large #10 cans, the majority of which were potentially sold nationwide to various food service customers. However, these products may also have been bought by consumers at retail stores.

These cans of recalled green beans and garbanzo beans should be returned to the store of purchase.

At this time there have been no botulism cases associated with consumption of this product and no Clostridium botulinum toxin has been identified in any products. For more information on this recall go to www.fda.gov.