New Era Canning Company Announces New Nationwide Recall of Green Beans and Garbanzo Beans in #10 cans (6 to 7 pound cans)

New Era, MI – January 18, 2008 --- New Era Canning Company of New Era, Michigan is recalling all cans of green beans and garbanzo beans in #10 cans (large cans containing between 6 and 7 pounds) because they may have been processed under conditions which could have led to contamination by Clostridium botulinum bacterium spores, which can cause life-threatening illness or death. The codes on the affected product begin with the numbers “00249,” or the letters “GREEN” or “GARB”. This recall does not include Italian Green Beans because that is a different product.

Clostridium botulinum bacterium spores have the potential for growth that produces a toxin that causes a potentially fatal form of food poisoning - botulism. Symptoms of botulism poisoning in humans can begin from 6 hours to 2 weeks after eating food that contains the toxin. Symptoms may include double vision, blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, and muscle weakness that moves progressively down the body, affecting the shoulders first, then descending to the upper arms, lower arms, thighs, and calves. Botulism poisoning also can cause paralysis of the breathing muscles, which can result in death unless assistance with breathing (mechanical ventilation) is provided. Individuals who have these symptoms and who may have recently eaten the green beans or garbanzo beans currently under recall or other food products made with these items should seek immediate medical attention.

The issues were uncovered in a FDA inspection of products that were in the company’s possession. NO product has tested positive for the toxin and there have been NO cases of botulism reported from these products.

This recall only affects the products in the large #10 cans, the majority of which were potentially sold nationwide to various food service customers. However these products may also have been purchased by consumers at retail stores. The code on the cans may be embossed (stamped into the metal of the can) or printed in ink on one of the metal can ends.

Examples of how a code may appear on a can of green beans are: "00249 2BH7FL", "00249 1515 2BH7FL", "GREEN 2BH7FL" or "GREEN 1515 2BH7FL". (These are not necessarily actual can codes).

Examples of how a code may appear on a can of garbanzo beans are: "00249 34F7LG", "00249 1515 34F7LG", "GARB 34F7LG" or "GARB 1515 34F7LG". (These are not necessarily actual can codes).
New Era Canning, in conjunction with the US Food and Drug Administration and the Michigan Department of Agriculture, is thoroughly evaluating all processes and procedures to determine the cause of the problem.

Any food that may be contaminated should be disposed of carefully. Even tiny amounts of toxins ingested, inhaled, or absorbed through the eye or a break in the skin can cause serious illness. Skin contact should be avoided as much as possible, and the hands should be washed immediately after handling the food. Customers who have the product or any foods made with these products should throw them away immediately. 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. Restaurants and institutions are encouraged to assure that such products are only placed in locked receptacles which are not accessible to the public. Additional instructions for safe disposal can be found at www.cdc.gov/botulism/botulism_faq.htm. Anyone with questions can call FDA at 1-888-SAFEFOOD.

Customers with questions may contact New Era Canning at 1-800-282-9007 Ext. 111.

The following product labels are affected:

Bunny brand, Distributed by Bunn Capitol Company, Springfield, IL
Blue Lake mixed and shortcut green beans (green beans, water, salt) in 6 lb. 5 oz. cans (UPC 6444500193).

Classic Sysco brand, Distributed by Sysco Corporation, Houston, TX.
Blue Lake cut green beans, 3 sieve (green beans, water, salt) in 101 oz. (6 lb. 5 oz.) cans (UPC 7486510779).
Blue Lake cut green beans, 4 sieve, (green beans, water, salt) in 101 oz. (6 lb. 5 oz.) cans (UPC 7486510487).
Garbanzo beans (garbanzo beans, water, salt, calcium chloride, EDTA) in 108.0 oz (6 lb. 12 oz.) cans (UPC 7486510484).

Code brand, Distributed by Code, Atlanta, GA.
Mixed & short cut green beans (green beans, water, salt) in 6 lb. 5 oz. cans (UPC 1207310120).
Fancy garbanzo beans without sulfites (garbanzo beans, water, salt, disodium EDTA) in 6 lb. 14 oz. cans (UPC 1207316120).

ComSource brand, Distributed by ComSource, Atlanta, GA.
Blue Lake cut green beans (green beans, water, salt) in 6 lb. 5 oz. cans (UPC 5254952333).
Blue Lake cut green beans, 3 sieve, (green beans, water, salt) in 6 lb. 5 oz. cans (UPC 5254952321).
ComSource Medallion Premium Quality brand, distributed by ComSource, Atlanta, GA.
Fancy Blue Lake cut green beans, 4 sieve, (green beans, water, salt) in 6 lb. 5 oz. cans (UPC 5254952325).

ComSource Merit Excellence Food Service brand, Distributed by ComSource, Inc, Atlanta, GA.
Cut Blue Lake green beans, 5 sieve (green beans, water, salt) in 6 lb. 5 oz. cans (UPC 5254952327).
Fancy Blue Lake cut green beans, 4 sieve, (green beans, water, salt) in 6 lb. 5 oz. cans (UPC 5254952325).

ComSource Traditional brand, Distributed by ComSource, Atlanta, GA.
Blue Lake cut green beans, mixed and short cut, (green beans, water, salt) in 101 oz (6 lb. 5 oz.) cans (UPC 5254952359).
Cut Blue Lake green beans, 4 sieve, (green beans, water, salt) in 6 lb. 5 oz. cans (UPC 5254952427).
Cut Blue Lake green beans, 5 sieve, (green beans, water, salt) in 6 lb. 5 oz. cans (UPC 5254952429).

Frosty Acres Restaurant's Pride Preferred brand, Packed for F.A.B., Inc., Alpharetta, GA.
Fancy Blue Lake cut green beans, 3 sieve (green beans, water, salt), in 101 oz. (6 lb. 5 oz.) cans (UPC 4820067373).
Cut Blue Lake green beans, 4 sieve (green beans, water, salt) in 101 oz. (6 lb. 5 oz.) cans (UPC 4820067445).
Blue Lake cut green beans, 5 sieve (green beans, water, salt) in 101 oz. (6 lb. 5 oz.) cans (UPC 4820067451).
Fancy cut Blue Lake green beans (green beans, water, salt), in 101 oz. (6 lb. 5 oz.) cans (UPC 4820067339).
Fancy cut Blue Lake green beans, 4 sieve (green beans, water, salt), in 101 oz. (6 lb. 5 oz.) cans (UPC 4820067446).
Mixture of Blue Lake short cut, cut green beans (green beans, water, salt), in 101 oz. (6 lb. 5 oz.) cans (UPC 4820068464).
Fancy garbanzos "chick pea" (garbanzo beans, water, salt, calcium chloride, disodium EDTA) in 111 oz. (6 lb. 15 oz.) cans (UPC 4820068264).

GFS brand, Distributed by Gordon Food Service, Grand Rapids, MI
Fancy Blue Lake cut green beans, 4 sieve (green beans, water, salt) in 6 lb. 5 oz. cans, reorder no. 118737 (UPC 9390111873).
Cut Blue Lake green beans, mixed sieve, (green beans, water, salt) in 6 lb. 5 oz. cans, reorder no. 273856 (UPC 9390127385).

goodtaste brand, Distributed by New Era Canning in New Era, MI.
Cut green beans (green beans, water, salt) in 6 lb. 5 oz. cans (UPC 3683512340).

Harvest Value brand, distributed by U.S. Food Service, Columbia, MD
Cut green beans, mixed and short cut, (green beans, water, salt) in 101 oz. (6 lb. 5 oz.) cans, 173619 (UPC 5810803534).
Cut green beans (green beans, water, salt) in 101 (6 lb. 5 oz.) cans, 170524 (UPC 5810801047).
Cut green beans, short cut (green beans, water, salt) in 101 oz. (6 lb. 5 oz.) cans, 173349 (UPC 5810803538).

Kitchen brand, Distributed by Potato Products, Detroit, MI.
5 sieve- EX.-STD. cut Blue Lake green beans (green beans, water, salt) in 6 lb. 6 oz. cans

Kitchen Essentials brand, Distributed by Gordon Food Service, Grand Rapids, MI.
Cut green beans, mixed sieve, (green beans, water, salt) in 6 lb. 6 oz. cans, reorder no. 156337 (UPC 9390115633).

Monarch brand, Distributed by Reid, Murdoch & Co., Columbia, MD
Extra Fancy Blue Lake cut green beans, 4 sieve, (green beans, water, salt) in 101 oz. (6 lb. 5 oz.) cans, 177039 (UPC 5810811196).
Fancy Blue Lake cut green beans, 3 sieve, (green beans, water, salt) in 101 oz (6 lb 5 oz) cans, 170672 (UPC 5810801040).

Monarch Premium brand, packed for PYA/Monarch, Inc, Greenville, SC.
Fancy Blue Lake cut green beans, 3 sieve, (green beans, water, salt) in 6 lb. 5 oz. cans, 173205 (No UPC code).

Mount Stirling brand, Distributed by Pocahontas Foods USA, Richmond, VA.
Blue Lake cut green beans, 5 sieve, (green beans, water, salt) in 6 lb. 5 oz. cans (UPC 4156033379).

Necco brand, Packed by New Era Canning Company, New Era, MI.
Cut green beans (green beans, water, salt) in 6 lb. 6 oz. cans (UPC 3683513340).

New Era brand, Distributed by New Era Canning Co, New Era, MI.
Veri-Green cut green beans (green beans, water, salt, zinc chloride) in 102 oz. (6 lb. 6 oz.) cans (No UPC code).
Cut green beans (green beans, water, salt) in 108 oz. (6 lb. 12 oz.) cans (UPC 3683511340).
Cut Blue Lake green beans, no salt added, (green beans, water) in 102 oz. (6 lb. 6 oz.) cans (No UPC code).
Garbanzo beans (garbanzo beans, water, salt, calcium chloride, EDTA) in 108 oz. (6 lb. 12 oz.) cans (UPC 3683511684).

Nugget brand, Distributed by Nugget, Atlanta, GA.
Green beans, 4 sieve, (green beans, water, salt) in 101 oz. (6lb. 5oz.) (UPC 4410540023).
Cut green beans, 5 sieve (green beans, water, salt) in 6 lb. 5 oz. cans (UPC 4410501930).
Veri-green cut green beans (green beans, water, salt, zinc chloride) in 6 lb. 12 oz. cans (UPC 4410502101).
Mixed short cut green beans (green beans, water, salt) in 6 lb. 5 oz. cans (UPC 4410518838).
Blue Lake cut green beans, 4 sieve, (green beans, water, salt) in 101 oz. (6 lb. 5 oz.) cans (UPC 4410501989).

Pocahontas brand, Distributed by Pocahontas Foods USA, Richmond, VA.
Fancy Blue Lake cut green beans, 4 sieve, (Blue Lake green beans, water, salt), 10282, in 6 lb. 5 oz. cans (UPC 4156010282).
Fancy long cut green beans (green beans, water, salt) in 6 lb. 5 oz. cans (UPC 4156010325).
Fancy Blue Lake green beans, 3 sieve, (Blue Lake green beans, water, salt), 10280, in 6 lb. 5 oz. cans (UPC 4156010280).

Reliance Sysco, Distributed by Sysco Corporation, Houston, TX.
Mixed cut green beans (green beans, water, salt) in 101 oz. (6 lb. 5 oz.) cans (UPC 7486512175).
Blue Lake cut green beans, 4 sieve, (green beans, water, salt) in 101 oz. (6 lb. 5 oz.) cans. (UPC 7486512172).
Blue Lake cut green beans, 5 sieve, (green beans, water, salt) in 101 oz. (6 lb. 5 oz.) cans (UPC 7486512174).

Sysco brand, Distributed by Sysco Corporation, Houston, TX.
5096342 Imperial Blue Lake cut green beans, 3 sieve (green beans, water, salt) in 6 lb. 5 oz. cans (UPC 7486512136).
5096359 Imperial Blue Lake cut green beans, 4 sieve (green beans, water, salt) in 6 lb. 5 oz. cans (UPC 7486512137).

US brand Distributed by U.S. FoodService, Columbia, MD.
Cut green beans, mixed sieve, (green beans, water, salt) in 101 oz. (6 lb. 5 oz.) cans, 171132 (UPC 5810801048).
Fancy Blue Lake cut green beans (green beans, water, salt) in 101 oz. (6 lb. 5 oz.) cans, 173416 (UPC 5810811195).
Fancy Blue Lake cut green beans, 3 sieve, (green beans, water, salt) in 101 oz. (6 lb. 5 oz.) cans, 170672 (UPC 5810801040).
Fancy Blue Lake cut green beans, 4 sieve, (green beans, water, salt) 170232 in 101 oz. (6 lb. 5 oz.) cans, 170672 (UPC 5810801041).
Cut green beans, 5 Sieve, (green beans, water, salt) in 101 oz (6 lb 5 oz) cans, 170675 (UPC 5810801042).

USDA, Food and Nutrition Service, Special Nutrition Programs, Alexandria, VA label.
Cut green beans (green beans, water, salt) in 6 lb. 6 oz. cans (UPC 1500101061).
Garbanzo beans (garbanzo beans, water, salt, calcium chloride, EDTA) in 6 lb. 12 oz. cans (UPC code 1500101089).