More than 800 cans of chili distributed through Clatsop County hunger-relief agencies have been recalled because of possible botulism contamination.

In response to a national food recall, the Oregon Food Bank is requesting anyone who received cans of Morton House chili – or Morton House and Castleberry’s beef stew – from any emergency food pantry or hunger-relief program supplied by the food bank to return the product immediately. In Clatsop County, that includes the regional food bank and the eight pantries, six shelters and two hot-meal sites it supplies.

Sixty-eight 12-can cases of the chili were delivered to the North Coast over the past three months, said Jean Kempe-Ware of the Oregon Food Bank. The nonprofit food bank serves as the hub of a network of more than 884 hunger-relief agencies, delivering food to 20 regional food banks statewide.

The recall stems from Castleberry’s Food Co. of Augusta, Ga., which announced potential problems with more than 80 chili and meat products for both people and pets on July 18. The Food and Drug Administration has since expanded its warning.

The Oregon Food Bank distributed three of the company’s items: 15-ounce cans of chili, as well as 20- to 24-ounce cans of beef stew that weren’t on the recall list. The stew remains a concern, according to the food bank, and is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Drug Administration.

FDA investigators have suggested the company may have failed to properly cook some products, allowing bacteria that cause the botulism toxin to survive. In some cases fatal, botulism is a muscle-paralyzing disease that causes symptoms anywhere from six hours to two weeks after the toxin is ingested.

Four people have been hospitalized for cases of botulism reported through Centers for Disease Control in Indiana and Texas. The government has requested store owners to remove affected products from shelves and has halted operations at the Castleberry’s plant in Augusta.

“Food safety is always our top concern, and we work hard to ensure the safety of the food we distribute,” said Rachel Bristol, Oregon Food Bank’s chief executive officer, in a public statement. “At this time, we have not heard any reports of illness because of these products in the area we serve – Oregon and southwest Washington. But we take this recall very seriously.

“We ask anyone who has received food from one of our member agencies to check their cupboards.”

Rick Young, Oregon Food Bank director of operations, said the state’s network of regional food banks have isolated the affected products in their warehouses and alerted local member agencies.

Clatsop Regional Food Bank Manager Diana Johnson wasn’t sure how many contaminated cans were distributed to local pantries, but at least some remained at the warehouse. Clients, who typically pick up provisions monthly, will be alerted by warning signs on their next trip, she said. But otherwise, there’s no way to track down who may have received tainted food.

More information is available from the FDA at 1-888-723-3366 or (www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/castleberry.html)