Baby Food Recall Due to Possible Food Contamination and Risk of Injury or Death from Botulism

Many parents are concerned about buying the best baby food products and formula for their children and everyone has different preferences as to what they think is the "best" baby food or formula on the market.  Finding the right baby food for your infant is very important but more important than finding which brand is nutritionally best is making sure that the baby food has not been recalled.

Plums Organic issued a recall today for their apple and carrot portable pouch baby food due to a low acidity level which can potentially cause the growth of a fatal bacteria known as Clostridium botulinum.  If Clostridium botulinum is ingested it puts the child at risk for suffering severe side effects due to the toxins it produces in the body resulting in a condition called Botulism. 

Botulism is a dangerous and often deadly condition in which the toxins make their way into the intestines and cause neuromuscular poisoning.  So far Plums Organic has not received any reports of injury or sickness in children due to the organic baby food being recalled but they are warning that if you have this product you should not use it even if it appears to be safe. 

The baby food was sold in a 4.22 ounce pouch in Toys-R-Us and Babies-R-Us stores nationwide with a "best by" date of May 21, 2010 and UPC 890180001221.  If you purchased this item but have not yet fed it to your child yet please do not give it to your child.  If your child has already ate the recalled product you will want to watch out for the following signs which are symptoms of the food-borne form of Botulism in infants:

• Constipation (often the first sign of Botulism)
• Floppy movements due to muscle weakness
• Trouble controlling the head
• Weak cry
• Drooping eyelids
• Tiredness
• Difficulty sucking or feeding
• Paralysis

The signs of Botulism usually appear about 12-36 hours after the toxin enters an infants body.  It is important that if you suspect your child may have Botulism you seek urgent medical care immediately - catching this deadly sickness early can increase your child's chances of living.   Also, you should alert the proper public health authorities of the contamination so that if will decrease the chances of other people being poisoned by the deadly toxin.  

Many people who ingest contaminated food and survive Botulism are left with life changing effects from the sickness such as difficulty speaking, swallowing, breathing and long lasting weakness.  If you or your child ate contaminated food and are suffering long lasting side effects of Botulism you will want to consider contacting a personal injury lawyer if the circumstances are appropriate.  A personal injury lawyer will be able to help you with your injury case and help you receive compensation for the side effects that are affecting your life and daily activities.