PORTLAND - More than 10 percent of the small stores inspected during the last week are still selling food linked to a botulism-based recall, Oregon officials said Tuesday.

Earlier this month, Castleberry's Food Co. began recalling more than 90 potentially contaminated products over fears of botulism contamination. The recall now covers two years' worth of production at the company's Augusta, Ga., plant - a tally that spirals into the tens of millions of cans.

These include canned chili and chili sauces, stews, hash, corned beef and other items sold under several brand names, and a dog food product.

Sampling the mom-and-pop groceries and other small stores in Oregon, the state Department of Agriculture found more than 10 percent of about 600 stores still were selling the recalled products.

“That's troubling for a number of reasons,” said Dalton Hobbs, assistant director of the department. “Either folks haven't gotten the word ... (or) people may have bought this thinking that the product was safe to eat and may get into a serious situation.”

For the past week, more than 20 inspectors checked the sample. There are about 6,000 licensed food establishments. The state didn't check those owned by large chains, which would have more sophisticated methods to detect and control recalled products. That left about 3,800 smaller stores.

Spot checks by the Food and Drug Administration and state officials nationwide continue to turn up recalled products for sale in convenience stores, gasoline stations and family-run groceries.

FDA investigators believe Castleberry's failed to properly cook some or all the products, allowing the Clostridium botulinum bacteria to survive canning. In the oxygen-free and moist environment of the sealed cans, the bacteria thrive and produce a toxin that causes botulism, a muscle-paralyzing disease.

Health officials say the extremely potent toxin can infect people if it is inhaled, swallowed or absorbed through the eye or breaks in the skin. Swallowing even tiny traces of botulinum toxin can be lethal, the Oregon Department of Health said.

Symptoms of botulism include double or blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing and muscle weakness. Symptoms usually begin within one to three days of consuming contaminated food, although the effect is sometimes delayed.

People who have any of the recalled products at home should double-bag and throw them away, the FDA said.

The Department of Agriculture wants businesses to take further steps when disposing of the product because if it is not left in a secured garbage bin, others may come in contact with it.

Castleberry's has hired a company to collect the recalled products from stores. It has posted a complete list of the recalled products, including some dog foods, on its Web site - http://www.castleberrys.com.