Recalled jarred sauces made by VR Greens have hospitalized two people in Ohio with botulism poisoning. The products, which included pesto sauce, tomato sauce and pasta sauce were not properly processed.
Botulism, a severe, sometimes fatal, form of food poisoning caused by ingesting a nerve toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, is rare. Less than 30 cases of foodborne botulism are reported annually in the United States.
Most botulism outbreaks are caused by home-canned foods that are improperly processed, but some have been linked to commercially-produced foods. Outbreaks have been linked to canned salmon, smoked fish, Italian olives, bottled garlic and baby food. Restaurant foods including sauteed onions, chopped bottled garlic, potato salad and baked potatoes have also caused botulism outbreaks. In 2007, an outbreak linked to hot dog chili sauce sickened eight people in three states. Indiana had two cases, Texas and Ohio each had three.
Symptoms of botulism poisoning include double vision, blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, or muscle weakness. It’s important to seek medcial attention right away if you develop these symptoms. If untreated, paralysis can set in progressing from head to toe, eventually seizing the muscles that control breathing.
