--- title: Stater Bros Botulism Concerns date: 2009-09-09T11:33:58-07:00 author: Bill Marler canonical_url: "https://marlerclark.com/news_events/stater-bros-botulism-concerns" section: News --- [All News](/news_events) / [Outbreaks](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/outbreaks) / # Stater Bros Botulism Concerns Bay Valley Foods, LLC, just recalled chunky steak soup sold under the Stater Bros. brand name; the reason given, as can be seen in the [USDA-FSIS recall notice](http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/Recall_047_2009_Release/index.asp), is the company’s concern that the product was “underprocessed” during production. Bay Valley should be commended for taking the necessary unilateral step of recalling its “underprocessed” product; but it’s important for consumers to know that the real concern with low-acid, thermally processed foods like this soup being “underprocessed” is botulism. Botulism is a nasty bug. It produces a potent neuro-toxin that causes paralysis. It has produced some of the most gruesome illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths of all clients at Marler Clark. But botulism (i.e. the bacteria from which the toxins are produced) is also extremely prevalent in the environment. It is a naturally occuring bacteria in the earth; in fact, if you were to go outside and pick up a handful of dirt from your backyard garden, you’d likely be picking up a bunch of botulism spores as well. These are not harmful unless they are allowed to incubate at the right temperature for the right period of time, but they are there nonetheless. To bring me back to the point with respect to the Stater Bros soup recall, the real risk here is that botulism spores in the low-acid, hermetically sealed soup containers might germinate and begin to produce the harmful botulism toxins. The soup contains lots of vegetables, and lots of the vegetables probably came from dirt that contained lots of botulism spores. Thus, Bay Valley Foods/Stater brothers, should be commended for recalling the potentially contaminated (or “underprocessed”) soup. But it is equally important for consumers of this product to know the risks they face. It’s not that your beef might be a little undercooked, or the carrots a little hard. 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The team at Marler Clark is here to answer all your questions. Find out if you’re eligible for a lawsuit, what questions to ask your doctor, and more. [ Get a free consultation ](https://marlerclark.com/contact) ##### Related Resources ###### [What is Botulism?](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/botulism/what-is-botulism) Botulism is a life-threatening paralytic illness caused by neurotoxins produced by an anaerobic, gram-positive, spore-forming bacterium—Clostridium botulinum. Botulism is a rare disease and only affects a few hundred persons each... ###### [Epidemiology and Microbiology of Botulism](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/botulism/epidemiology-and-microbiology-of-botulism) C. botulinum bacteria and spores are widely distributed in nature because they are indigenous to soils and waters. They occur in both cultivated and forest soils, bottom sediment of streams... ###### [Symptoms of Botulism](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/botulism/symptoms-of-botulism) After their ingestion, botulinum neurotoxins are absorbed primarily in the duodenum and jejunum, pass into the bloodstream, and travel to synapses in the nervous system. There, the neurotoxins cause flaccid... ###### [Detection and Treatment of Botulism](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/botulism/detection-and-treatment-of-botulism) Although botulism can be diagnosed based on clinical symptoms, distinguishing it from other diseases is often difficult, especially in the absence of other known persons affected by the condition. Common... ###### [Botulism Outcomes and Long-Term and Permanent Injury](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/botulism/botulism-outcomes-and-long-term-and-permanent-injury) In the past 50 years, mortality from botulism has fallen dramatically (from about 50% to 8%) because of advances in supportive care, which is the mainstay of treatment. The respiratory... ##### Outbreak Database #### Looking for a comprehensive list of outbreaks? The team at Marler Clark is here to answer all your questions. Find out if you’re eligible for a lawsuit, what questions to ask your doctor, and more. [ View Outbreak Database ](https://outbreakdatabase.com)