Potential Botulism Risk: Recall of Bush’s Baked Beans

The Organic Prepper

Bush Brothers and Company have issued a voluntary recall of several varieties of their famous baked beans.

The reason for the recall? There is a quality issue with the side seam of certain cans which was discovered when the products began to leak out the seams.

As any home-canner knows, this kind of issue means that the product within is at a high risk for botulism. Botulism is a potentially deadly form of food poisoning, and if the victim survives, they can suffer lifelong neurological issues.  

The company posted the following information on their website:

On July 22, 2017, we announced a voluntary recall of certain 28 ounce cans of BUSH’S® Brown Sugar Hickory Baked Beans, Country Style Baked Beans and Original Baked Beans due to potentially defective side seams on the cans. This recall was initiated after our internal quality assurance checks identified the issue. Subsequent investigations indicated a temporary quality issue from one of our can suppliers. The
problem was corrected and no other product is affected.

As a fourth generation family owned business, we are guided by our values of integrity, caring, responsibility, and trust and we apologize for any inconvenience or concern this situation may cause. It’s important to note that, to date, no illnesses or other adverse consequences have been reported in connection with this voluntary recall; however, we urge you to dispose of these affected products immediately even if the beans do not look or smell spoiled. We are working with our retailers to ensure timely removal of affected product from their warehouses and shelves.

Here are the affected products:

• BUSH’S BEST® BROWN SUGAR HICKORY BAKED BEANS 28 ounce with UPC of 0 39400 01977 0 and Lot Codes 6097S GF and 6097P GF with Best By date of Jun 2019
• BUSH’S BEST COUNTRY STYLE BAKED BEANS 28 ounce with UPC of 0 39400 01974 9 and Lot Codes 6077S RR, 6077P RR, 6087S RR, 6087P RR with the Best By date of Jun 2019
• BUSH’S BEST ORIGINAL BAKED BEANS 28 ounce with UPC of 0 39400 01614 4 and Lot Codes 6057S LC and 6057P LC with the Best By date of Jun 2019

Bush also offered this visual guide to identifying products affected by the recall:

We preppers love our beans! I had quite a few cans on my shelf, but luckily, none that were included in the recall.

If you do have any of these products in your pantry, do not consume them, regardless of whether they look or smell fine. Always put safety first.

You can call Bush’s Consumer Relations at 1-800-590-3797 between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday for instructions or questions.

The Organic Prepper