The department is still awaiting the results of testing of blood and stool samples collected from one of the men, Jon Stockton, 33, of Hana, said spokeswoman Janice Okubo. The samples were sent to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Stockton went to the Maui Memorial Medical Center emergency room July 26 after suffering symptoms that included numbness in his face. He said he had eaten the chili July 23 and again the next day, and fell ill with stomach problems and achiness, with the symptoms worsening as the week progressed.

Stockton was hospitalized for two days.

Wailuku attorney Keith Regan, 35, also reported that he became sick after eating Cattle Drive chili, suffering from severe stomach distress and blurred vision. Both Stockton and Regan purchased the chili at the Costco in Kahului before a product recall was announced by manufacturer Castleberry's Food Co.

Okubo said that Regan's symptoms did not meet the criteria for botulism, so blood and stool samples were not collected for testing.

"The Stockton case meets some, but not all the criteria for botulism," she said. "There are other possible causes to his illness that have not been ruled out. Physicians make diagnosis on the best available evidence at the time."

The Health Department's laboratory examined an unopened can from Stockton's house, she said. One open and eaten can from Regan's home also was tested.

Botulism is a rare but serious illness caused by consuming foods tainted by botulinum toxin. The toxin, produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, affects the nervous system and can cause paralysis and death.

Symptoms of botulism include double or blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing or muscle weakness. If untreated, the illness may progress from head to toe, with paralysis of the face, arms, breathing muscles, torso and legs.