Faribault Foods Inc. is expanding their Apr. 22 recall of certain cans of S&W Organic Black Beans and Chili Beans sold at Costco stores because the cans may have compromised seals that could lead to botulism poisoning.
The compromised hermetic seals may affect can integrity and may cause the cans to leak, bloat or allow bacteria, such as Clostridium botulinum, to grow inside the product which could lead to serious illness
The recalled products were distributed to retail stores in California, Washington, Utah, Oregon, Arizona, Colorado, Arkansas, Hawaii, Texas, Georgia and Idaho.
The recall was initiated after the firm had received consumer and customer complaints regarding the failure of the hermetic seals.
Consumers should check their homes because of the long shelf life of the beans, which do not expire until 2023.
To identify recalled products consumers should look for the following label information:
| Product | Date/Lot Number | Distribution Dates |
| S&W Organic Black Beans, 15 oz. | Best By JUL 19 2022 1329A 202 20 | August 2020-October 2020 |
| S&W Organic Black Beans, 15 oz. | Best By JUL 20 2022 1329A 203 20 | September 2020-March 2021 |
| S&W Organic Black Beans, 15 oz. | Best By JUL 23 2022 1329A 205 20 | August 2020-November 2020 |
| S&W Organic Black Beans, 15 oz. | Best By SEP 13 2022 1329A 258 20 | November 2020-March 2021 |
| S&W Organic Black Beans, 15 oz. | Best By SEP 14 2022 1329A 259 20 | November 2020-March 2021 |
| S&W Organic Black Beans, 15 oz. | Best By SEP 15 2022 1329A 260 20 | October 2020-December 2020 |
| S&W Organic Black Beans, 15 oz. | Best By MAR 11 2023 1329A 071 21 | March 2021-April 2021 |
| S&W Organic Black Beans, 15 oz. | Best By MAR 14 2023 1329A 074 21 | April 2021 |
| S&W Organic Black Beans, 15 oz. | Best By MAR 15 2023 1329A 075 21 | April 2021 |
| S&W Organic Black Beans, 15 oz. | Best By MAR 16 2023 1329A 076 21 | March 2021-April 2021 |
| S&W Organic Black Beans, 15 oz. | Best By JAN 31 2023 1329A 032 21 | February 2021-April 2021 |
| S&W Organic Black Beans, 15 oz. | Best By FEB 01 2023 1329A 033 21 | February 2021-April 2021 |
| S&W Organic Black Beans, 15 oz. | Best By FEB 02 2023 1329A 034 21 | February 2021-April 2021 |
| S&W Organic Black Beans, 15 oz. | Best By FEB 03 2023 1329A 035 21 | February 2021-April 2021 |
| O Organics Organic Black Beans, 15 oz. | Best By FEB 03 2023 981A 035 21 | February 2021-April 2021 |
| O Organics Organic Chili Beans, 15 oz. | Best By FEB 04 2023 978A 036 21 | February 2021-April 2021 |
Consumers who may have purchased the recalled products should return them to the store where they were purchased for a refund or replacement.
About botulism poisoning
While a variety of illnesses can result from eating under-processed, canned or jar foods, one of the most dangerous is botulism poisoning. Untreated, botulism can paralyze the muscles needed for breathing, resulting in sudden death.
Anyone who has developed signs of botulism poisoning should immediately seek medical attention, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“In foodborne botulism, symptoms generally begin 18 to 36 hours after eating contaminated food. However, symptoms can begin as soon as 6 hours after or up to 10 days later,” according to the CDC website.
The symptoms of botulism may include some or all of the following: double vision, blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, difficulty breathing, a thick-feeling tongue, dry mouth, and muscle weakness. People with botulism poisoning may not show all of these symptoms at once.
These symptoms result from muscle paralysis caused by the toxin. If untreated, the disease may progress, and symptoms may worsen to cause paralysis of specific muscles, including those used in breathing and those in the arms, legs, and the body from the neck to the pelvis area.