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The World Health Organization notes that foodborne botulism is a serious and potentially fatal disease . It is a disease caused by ingesting botulinum toxins that have been formed in contaminated food.
Botulinum toxins are neurotoxic, they affect the nervous system. Botulism is characterized by causing muscle paralysis that can cause respiratory failure.
Clostridium botulinum bacteria can produce the botulinum toxins in food , wounds and intestines of babies. For this reason, in humans there is foodborne botulism, infant botulism , wound botulism as well as botulism by inhalation or other types of poisoning. No person-to-person transmission of botulism occurs.
Foodborne botulism
Symptoms of foodborne botulism may include: difficulty swallowing, muscle weakness, double vision, droopy eyelids, vision blurred, slurred speech, labored breathing, difficulty moving eyes, vomiting, nausea, stomach pain, and diarrhea.
The Centers for Control and the Disease Prevention (CDC) point out that people ingesting food contaminated with botulinum toxins can become seriously ill or even die if they do not receive adequate medical treatment quickly.
In which foods are botulinum toxins produced
WHO indicates that ready-to-eat foods in containers with low o content xigen are more frequently associated with foodborne botulism.
CDC notes that canned, preserved or fermented foods improperly can provide the conditions for the spores of C. botulinum bacteria to grow and produce botulinum toxin.
Botulinum toxin has been found in a variety of foods, including low acid canned vegetables , such as green beans, spinach, mushrooms, and beets; fish, including canned tuna, fermented fish , salted and smoked; and meat products, such as ham and sausages. The CDC also mentions aluminum-wrapped baked potatoes.
Favorable conditions to produce botulinum toxin are: low acidity, low sugar level, low salt level, a certain range of temperature and amount of water.
How to prevent foodborne botulism
Botulinum toxins are destroyed by boiling, but the spores that produce them are heat resistant. Contamination can occur when food is improperly processed, stored or used.
General recommendations
Refrigerate canned or pickled foods after opening.
Before to eat them, boil home canned tomatoes or any home canned food that is low in acid. They should boil for 10 minutes at altitudes below 1, , 000 additional feet.
Boil fermented foods before eating them.
Throw away puffy canned food , with gases or in bad condition.
Refrigerates the oils homemade infused with garlic or herbs. Discard unused oils after 4 days.
Keep potatoes baked in aluminum foil warm at temperatures above 140 ° F until served or refrigerate with parchment paper loosened aluminum.
If you doubt or do not know if the food was processed correctly, don’t eat them and throw them away. Eating a little food with botulinum toxins can be deadly.
You suspect contamination if liquid or foam comes out of the container when you open it. Also if the food is discolored, moldy or smells bad.
Discard the food possibly contaminated. Put it in a bag, once sealed wrap it in another bag and also seal it. Wear gloves and avoid splashing on your skin. Throw in a trash can outside the home out of the reach of people and pets. Do not dispose of suspicious food in a sink , garbage disposal or toilet.
If you preserve, can or ferment your own food:
Follow safe home packaging instructions from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Use a canner to pressure for low acid foods . CDC recommends not using a multi-cook electric appliance, even if it has a “can” or “steam can” button.
When fermenting foods like fish, use methods that allow air to circulate . Don’t use plastic or glass containers. Ferment food at cold temperature, below 37 ° F. Use salt To dry the fish, it reduces the possibility of growing botulism toxin.
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