A nationwide recall of hot-dog chili sauces due to possible botulism bacteria contamination began last Thursday and became larger this past weekend. "Great Value" private-label cans of chili sauce from retailer Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT) have been recently also added to the recall list. Other brands on the list include Castleberry's and Austex Hot Dog Chili Sauce.

Here is where things get a little dicey, and probably will continue to do so in the future. If you remember, peanut butter from ConAgra Foods Inc. (NYSE: CAG) was recalled last fall, leaving the Peter Pan brand absent from many grocers' shelves. Now, the chili sauce recall hit the market and it seems that Wal-Mart's private labels aren't immune this time either.

This is not surprising since probably all of Wal-Mart's private-label grocery items are made by the bigger manufacturers. In some cases, the ingredient mix and breakdown is slightly different from the brand names so they don't look and taste exactly like the private-label brands such as Sam's Choice and Great Value.

The question is then, why is it that I rarely see the private-label brands referenced right at the start with the name brands when food recalls happen? Just like with the Peter Pan peanut butter recall months ago, this chili sauce recall did not include Wal-Mart's private-label brands until after the recall was firmly and publicly established. Seeing as Wal-Mart is the nation's largest food retailer, one would think getting recall notices out covering its private-label brands would be first order.