There has been some publicity about botulism contaminated food products being recalled; but apparently authorities are having some difficulty getting compliance, mostly from a large number of smaller sellers, in getting the stuff off the shelves.

Recalled cans still for sale in stores

[Quoting:]

A week later, word hasn't reached all outlets selling possibly tainted foods

The Associated Press
Updated: 2:27 p.m. CT July 27, 2007

WASHINGTON - Stores nationwide are continuing to sell recalled canned chili, stew, hash and other foods potentially contaminated with poisonous bacteria even after repeated warnings the products could kill.

Thousands of cans are being removed from store shelves as quickly as investigators find them, more than a week after Castleberry's Food Co. began recalling more than 90 potentially contaminated products over fears of botulism contamination.

The recall now covers two years' production at the company's Augusta, Ga., plant — a tally that spirals into the tens of millions of cans.
Spot checks by the Food and Drug Administration and state officials continue to turn up recalled products for sale in convenience stores, gas stations and family run groceries, from Florida to Alaska. The FDA alone has found them in roughly 250 of the more than 3,700 stores visited in nationwide checks, according to figures the agency provided to The Associated Press.

[End quote - more at the link]

The recall affects food distributed in the US and Canada. (A few dog foods are also included.)

A current list of recalled products is at: Recall List

Since it's a toxin produced by the botulin that produces the harmful effects, rather than the organism itself, cooking may kill the organism responsible but does NOT destroy the toxin. Food contaminated in this way cannot be rendered safe. There is some brief description of symptoms and effects at the first link.

John