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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Sunday, July 29, 2007

Maui man who ate recalled chili OK

By Will Hoover
Advertiser Staff Writer

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Jon Stockton

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A Maui man who was hospitalized Thursday after eating a can of chili that was part of a national botulism recall was released yesterday morning, according to officials at Maui Memorial Medical Center.

Jon Stockton, 33, of Hana, was discharged in stable and improved condition, a hospital supervisor said.

Stockton was reportedly doing fine, although he had earlier complained of feeling some of the symptoms of botulism, such as numbness of the face. Botulism is a rare but serious illness caused by eating foods tainted by botulinum toxin that affects the nervous system and can cause paralysis or even death.

Stockton became ill after eating a can of Cattle Drive chili, one of a number of canned meat products under various names manufactured by Castleberry's Food Co. of Augusta, Ga., that were part of a voluntary recall, according to the Food and Drug Administration. Stockton said he bought the chili at Costco in Kahului.

Costco stores nationwide pulled the Castleberry's products the same day the recall was announced, said Craig Wilson, the company's assistant vice president for food safety in Kirkland, Wash.

"The building on Maui pulled it, and everything was done on time," he said yesterday.

He said Costco is assisting the the investigation by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention by tracking down Stockton's purchase and has identified 250,000 others who bought the canned food that was the subject of the recall and sent letters to those customers advising them to discard the items.

The cause of Stockton's illness has yet to be confirmed, but his fluid samples were sent to the CDC for testing, state Department of Health spokeswoman Janice Okubo said Friday. She said it would be several days before the results would be known.

The CDC reported that all of the recalled food brands were canned in the same plant. It said an average of 110 cases of botulism are reported in the U.S. annually and one-quarter of those cases are a result of eating contaminated home-canned foods.

Botulism from eating contaminated food is treatable with an antitoxin if diagnosed early, the CDC said. Untreated, the illness can progress, causing paralysis to face, arms, breathing muscles, torso and legs and eventually leading to death.

Staff writer Christie Wilson contributed to this report.

Reach Will Hoover at whoover@honoluluadvertiser.com.