U.S. company recalls green beans over bacteria risk

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Michigan company said on Friday it was voluntarily recalling 1,026 cans of green beans because they may be contaminated with bacteria that cause botulism, a life-threatening illness.

New Era Canning Company said it was recalling 171 cases of GFS Fancy Blue Lake Cut Green Beans with the lot code 19H7FL. Each case contained six cans in 6-pound, 5-ounce sizes.

The canned green beans were distributed to foodservice customers in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia, a company statement said. They were sold through GFS Marketplace stores in Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee.

The beans may be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum, which can cause life-threatening illness or death, the company said. No illnesses have been reported to date.

Consumers should not eat the beans even if they do not look or smell spoiled, the company said.

The potential contamination was discovered through testing by the Food and Drug Administration, New Era said.

"New Era Canning in conjunction with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Michigan Department of Agriculture is thoroughly evaluating all processes and procedures to determine the cause of the problem," the company said.

The company's statement was posted on the FDA Web site here