Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 4: Preventing all varieties of botulism
• Part 2 of 4: Understanding botulism
• Part 3 of 4: Preventing food botulism
• Part 4 of 4: Preserving foods safely
• Tips
• Warnings

Botulism is a serious poisoning that usually occurs when a person consumes foods containing the bacteria Clostridium botulinum contain. Preserved foods and foods that have been improperly handled or processed can be carriers of this deadly bacteria. Botulism can also enter the body through wounds. The best way to prevent botulism is to always prepare food safely and seek immediate medical attention for cuts.

To step

Part 1 of 4: Preventing all varieties of botulism

1. Immediately discard any food cans that are crushed, expanded, fizzy, or smelly. When in doubt, throw it away. While cans are the most sensitive to this, this is true of all preserved foods.
2. Never give honey to babies less than a year old. Honey may contain spores of botulism that adults can easily process. However, the immune system of children under the age of twelve months is not yet able to process a lick of honey.
3. Be careful with fermented fish, baked potatoes, and foods that have been kept warm for extended periods of time. Keep foods, especially baked potatoes, warm in aluminum foil and refrigerate them when you are done eating. This prevents botulism, which can settle in warm, moist foods over time.
4. Cook all canned / pickled foods at home for at least ten minutes. This will kill the botulism toxins. Always make sure to use the most modern standard for canning / preserving food.
5. Use a pressure cooker to cook foods with low acidity, such as vegetables. Preserving food is as much a science as it is an art form. Because acid kills bacteria, foods without acid must be heated to a higher temperature for safe preservation.
6. Store oils with garlic or herbs in the refrigerator. If the oil contains ingredients that come out of the ground, then you should keep them cool at all times. If you're making your own oil, make sure to thoroughly clean and / or peel everything.
7. Clean wounds with soap and water, then apply antibiotics and cover with a band-aid. Botulism that enters the body through wounds can always be prevented by cleaning the wounds well.
8. See the doctor immediately if a baby is crying faintly, or appears listless or immobile. Although botulism can be treated, it is a serious disease that should be addressed as soon as possible.
9. See the doctor immediately if you have muscle weakness, double vision, or paralysis. Adults start to show symptoms within one to three days of ingesting the toxin.
10. Know that multiple varieties of botulism cannot be prevented. Botulism often occurs in unexpected places, especially in soil. If you get there early enough, however, it can be treated well.

Part 2 of 4: Understanding botulism

1. Learn about the different types of botulism. Botulism is rare but is considered a medical emergency when it does occur. Botulism can lead to paralysis and possibly even death, regardless of how the botulism is contracted. Prevention is better than cure, so it is first and foremost important to know how to contract botulism. These are the different types of botulism:
   • Food botulism occurs when a person eats the foods contaminated with bacteria.
   • Wound botulism occurs when the bacteria enter the body through an open wound, and the body begins to produce toxins as a result. This variant is more likely to occur in people who work under unsanitary conditions or people who share drug needles.
   • Infant botulism (infant botulism) occurs when a baby ingests the spores of the botulinum bacteria. These spores then grow further in the intestines and produce a toxic substance (toxin).
   • Infant botulism in adults occurs when an adult ingests the spores of the botulinum bacteria. These spores then grow further in the intestines and produce a toxic substance (toxin).
   • Botulism is not contagious. However, people who consume the same contaminated foods are likely to have the same reaction. This may lead some people to think that they have “taken it over” from someone else.
2. Know which types of botulism can be prevented. Unfortunately, not all types of botulism can be prevented. Food and wound botulism are preventable; infant botulism and infant botulism in adults are not. You should be aware of the following:
   • Food botulism can be prevented by taking proper food processing precautions.
   • Wound botulism can be prevented by immediately thoroughly cleaning and caring for open wounds. Prevent wound botulism by never injecting or inhaling street drugs.
   • Infant botulism (in both children and adults) is caused by bacterial spores that are trapped in dirt. There is no way you can prevent these spores from entering the body, no matter how clean you keep the house or how hard you try to keep your child from playing in the mess outside.The good news is that botulism is extremely rare, and it is not fatal if it is properly addressed.
3. Know the symptoms of botulism. The symptoms of botulism can manifest as early as six hours after consuming contaminated food and up to ten days after consumption. Botulism can be deadly if not treated in a timely manner. If you experience any of the following symptoms and suspect botulism is involved, see the doctor immediately. Here are the most common symptoms of botulism:
   • Double vision, blurred vision or drooping eyelids
   • Muscle weakness
   • Difficulty swallowing or a dry mouth
   • Speech problems
4. Watch for symptoms of infant botulism. Botulism usually occurs in infants, so it is extremely important to keep a close eye on the baby. If your baby shows any of the following symptoms of the paralysis associated with botulism, go to an emergency room immediately:
   • Weakness / weak movements
   • Loss of appetite
   • Weep / wail weakly
   • Lethargy

Part 3 of 4: Preventing food botulism

1. Know which foods often harbor the bacteria. Botulism is usually caused by the consumption of food that has not been properly processed or preserved. Examples of when the bacteria can live in food include:
   • Pickled fish where the brine was not acidic or salty enough to kill the bacteria.
   • Smoked fish that has been stored at too high a temperature.
   • Fruits and vegetables whose acidity is not high enough to kill bacteria.
   • Canned / preserved foods that are not preserved in accordance with modern standards.
   • Honey products in children less than a year old, or in people whose immune system has been compromised in some way.
2. Prepare food with care. Always make sure that you prepare food in a safe and hygienic way. Below are a number of standard hygiene rules for the kitchen that you must always adhere to:
   • Wash the dirt off your fruits and vegetables. The botulinum bacteria resides in dirt and soil, which can cause risks to unwashed vegetables and fruit.
   • Scrub potatoes thoroughly before preparing them. Potatoes wrapped in aluminum foil and cooked should be kept warm until consumed or stored in the refrigerator.
   • Wash mushrooms before use to remove dirt and soil.
   • Consider cooking your own pickled foods for ten minutes before eating them.
   • Store homemade salsa and cheese sauces in the fridge.
   • Keep all dairy products in the refrigerator.
   • Discard heat-treated containers that have lost airtight condition. Think of tin cans with rust, or plastic packaging with holes in it.
   • If you roam or live outside, don't eat knocked-down animals or washed-up sea creatures. After all, you never know how long these animals have been there, and it could just be that the bacteria have already established themselves well in the animals.
3. Know when to throw away food. Sometimes people contract botulism from consuming packaged foods that are contaminated. Knowing when not to eat prepackaged or prepared foods is very important to prevent botulism. Botulism spores themselves have no particular smell or taste, so don't let your judgment on whether something is still safe to eat depend entirely on the smell.
   • If food cans are dented, partially opened, or otherwise deformed, do not eat the contents.
   • If canned food hisses, bubbles, or smells when you open the package, throw it away.
   • If the lid comes off too easily, throw the food away.
   • If the food smells peculiar, get rid of it; unless you know that it smells strong (there are also edible fermented products or foods that have been aged for a long time and naturally smell awful to most people, but there aren't that many).
   • If any mold or peculiar discoloration appears on the food, throw it away.
   • When in doubt, always throw it away. It's not worth the risk.
4. Do not give honey to children who are less than a year old. At this young age, the child's immune system has not developed enough to kill the botulism bacteria found in honey. In adults, the immune system is strong enough to do this.

Part 4 of 4: Preserving foods safely

1. Look for an up-to-date preservation recipe. The last twenty years have seen many new developments in the self-preservation of foodstuffs. This means that books or prescriptions less than 20 years old should be able to help you with safety guidelines and processes to use.
   • Just because something is on the internet does not mean that it has been modernized. Just as there is an abundance of old books, there is also an abundance of old recipes on the internet. Check the source, ask questions and be critical. When in doubt, always look for a source that you can actually check if it is up-to-date.
   • It is possible to update old preservation recipes by comparing them with more modern versions and adjusting them where necessary. The parts that are missing from the older recipes (many things were not added in the past, because cooks used to know what to do through repetition) you can add yourself by incorporating the missing steps from more modern recipes. This ensures that you do not skip steps that are indispensable for the safety of the recipe.
2. Don't cook foods that are too acidic to kill bacteria - unless you have the right tools. Acidity can kill the botulinum bacteria. If the acidity is limited or nil, the risk of botulism poisoning increases. As a result, many vegetables don't lend themselves to canning unless you can heat them to very high temperatures.
   • Some slightly tart vegetables that are regularly grown and that can be tempting to cann / make them include: asparagus, green beans, tomatoes, chilies, beets, carrots (carrot juice) and corn.
   • It is possible to make these foods, but only if you have supplies that allow you to heat the pots over the boiling point of water. This requires a special canning machine that functions as a large pressure cooker. If you decide to purchase one, read the manual carefully before use. Follow the instructions carefully to make sure you are doing it right.
3. Use the right ingredients to kill bacteria. Alcohol, brine, and sugar syrup will kill bacteria. In the case of brine and syrup, this should be done by heating - the heating kills the microorganisms. In addition to killing bacteria, these bases will also kill viruses and fungi.
   • Acidifying slightly acidic foods will help kill bacteria, but heating should absolutely remain part of the process. Therefore, lemon juice, citrus acid, vinegar and other acidic elements can be used to increase the acidity of preserved foods that have been preserved by a heating method.
4. Use a method that provides an appropriate level of heating to kill bacteria. As mentioned, the boiling temperature of water at sea level is not high enough for slightly acidic foods (the botulism bacteria can survive temperatures above 100º Celsius). For foods that are more acidic, the heat, along with the acidity, will be enough to kill the bacteria. Modern canning methods that are often used include:
   • The pan method: Glass canning jars are cleaned and sterilized by immersing them in boiling water for five minutes. The jars are then filled with fruit. Then rubber rings, which have been briefly in the boiling water, are slid around the opening of the pot before putting the lid on. Then the pots are put back in the pan for further simmering - as long as the recipe indicates.
   • The oven method: The oven is preheated, the fruit is put in the jars and the lids are loosely placed on the jars. The pots are placed in the oven on a roasting tin or grid and cooked for a while according to the recipe. Then you take them out of the oven, fill the jars with syrup or a boiling sugar solution, close the jars tightly and let them cool on the counter.
5. Process meat products at temperatures of 115.6º Celsius or higher. This is essential to kill any spores that may be present. As with slightly acidic vegetables, it requires the use of a canning machine capable of reaching these and higher temperatures.
   • In addition, you must heat preserved meat products to 100º Celsius after opening. Then reduce the heat and simmer for another 15 minutes to make sure the bacteria have been killed.
6. Look for safer alternatives than canning or canning foods. Preserving food is an art form that requires a lot of care and effort. If you are not waiting for that, there are also other ways to keep your fresh products good for longer, including:
   • Freezing food: Make sure to do your homework before freezing food. How you should freeze it can differ per food. Some foods won't even survive the freezing process at all.
   • Drying food: Drying food kills bacteria, fungi, yeasts and enzymes. Follow the modern instructions to do this properly.
   • Vinegar: Some foods can be preserved in vinegar. This method is often used for pickles, for example. You can add spices to the vinegar to improve the flavor.
   • Smoking: Some foods, including meat and fish, can be smoked.
   • Wine, Cider, Beer, or Beverage: Turn your fruits and vegetables into alcohol. If you do, the bacteria are guaranteed to leave.
7. Make your products safe with oil. Any product that has grown in the soil or has come into contact with soil may possibly be contaminated. You can safely cann your products with oil, but only if you follow these steps:
   • Wash the fresh produce thoroughly before use. Remove all traces of dirt and soil. If you can only do this by peeling the product, consider doing that.
   • Add an acidifying agent. In the United States, the addition of acidifying agents is required by law for all such commercial oil preparations. Acidifying substances that are regularly used for this include lemon juice, vinegar and citrus acid. The ratio is one tablespoon of the acidifying agent (15 ml) to one cup of oil (250 ml).
   • Keep the oil in the refrigerator. You may also be able to store the oil in a cool, dark cellar, as long as it is cold enough there. However, you can generally keep the infused oil longer by keeping it in the refrigerator.
   • Discard the oil immediately if it smells, becomes cloudy, or starts to fizz.

Tips

• Never consume things that you have canned yourself unless you are 100 percent sure that you have taken the correct precautions and safety precautions.
• If you are new to canning or canning, you should first familiarize yourself with the dangers and risks.
• You can find more information about the prevention of botulism on the website of the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment.

Warnings

• People who survive botulism poisoning can continue to experience shortness of breath and fatigue for years to come. To assist recovery, it may be necessary to continue on therapy for an extended period of time.
• Botulism can be fatal, usually due to paralysis of the respiratory muscles.