Stockton

Jon Stockton, 33, told The Advertiser he bought an eight-pack of the canned chili at Costco three weeks ago and felt mildly ill after eating some of it last week.

He had some more chili for dinner Monday night, and put an open can in the refrigerator overnight before eating it again Tuesday night. By Wednesday morning he felt violently ill but didn't think he had anything worse than a stomach disorder. Then he began feeling numbness and sought medical help at the Maui Memorial emergency room.

"It felt like I had Novacaine in my head and my eyes were drooping and fluttering," said Stockton, who is hospitalized at Maui Memorial Medical Center.

He said he had heard about the food recall but didn't realize he had bought the same brand of chili.

"I heard something about Castleberry but never connected it to Cattle Drive chili. I thought it was a different company," he said.

Doctors told him he would have to stay in the hospital at least another day to make sure the toxin doesn't spread to his lungs, where it may cause breathing difficulty.

DOH spokeswoman Janice Okubo said the cause of the symptoms has not been confirmed, and the DOH is consulting with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The department issued a warning to Hawai'i consumers about the recall, which includes Cattle Drive Chili with Beans, eight- and six-packs; Cattle Drive Chili No Beans, six-pack; and Cattle Drive Chicken Chili, six-pack. At that time, four suspected cases of botulism outside Hawai'i had been reported.

These products should not be eaten even if they don't look or smell spoiled, health officials advised. Consumers who have any of these products should throw them away immediately by double-bagging the cans in tightly closed plastic bags and placing them in a trash receptacle outside the home.

Anyone who sees the recalled products on the shelves can report it to the DOH Food and Safety Branch at 586-4725; on the Neighbor Islands, call your District Health Office.