Wake County, in cooperation with state agencies, is urging consumers, food merchants and food service establishments to take heed of a national recall of potentially contaminated canned foods. County environmental health specialists and public health officials are working to inform citizens about the recall, which has been expanded and also includes some pet foods.
Last week the U.S. Food and Drug Administration asked states for assistance with the recall. Today, although 22,000 cans of recalled foods have been removed from shelves in North Carolina, the N.C. Department of Agriculture (NCDA) estimates that 40% of stores are still carrying the items in question. NCDA is reaching out to local governments to aid in the recall, and is also asking consumers to notify store managers and to call state health officials at 919-733-7366 if they see these products offered for sale.
"We’ve redirected about 20 staff members from different departments to hit the streets and the phone lines and get these foods out of circulation," said Wake County Environmental Health & Safety Director Andre Pierce. "Now we need citizens to help get the word out by sharing this information with friends, family members and in their communities."
Wake County Human Services is notifying all daycare centers and nursing homes to be on the lookout for the recalled foods, and urging all organizations that prepare foods for individuals and groups to identify and dispose of these items.
All foods subject to the recall are listed on the U. S. Department of Agriculture website at www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/Recall_033_2007_expanded/index.asp.
Inspectors with the N.C. Department of Agriculture have found that a lot of smaller stores and markets across the state had not been informed of the need to remove these products from sale. These establishments include independent groceries, convenience centers, food pantries and flea markets.
Citizens are asked to check their pantries for any of the potentially contaminated canned foods and throw them away immediately. Recalled foods should be disposed of in secure containers that cannot be accidentally accessed by people or pets. Double-bag the cans in plastic bags that are tightly closed, then place in a trash receptacle for non-recyclable trash outside of the home.
Food merchants and food service establishments are cautioned that homeless or underfed people may access waste containers looking for food and that recalled food products should be disposed of in a secure manner.
On July 21, 2007, Castleberry’s Food Company voluntarily expanded its July 19 recall of canned meat products that may contain Clostridium botulinum, a toxin that causes botulism. At least four cases of botulism connected to the recalled food products have been confirmed in Indiana and Texas. Additional information about botulism and disposal guidelines for recalled foods can be found on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website at www.cdc.gov/botulism/botulism.htm.