How to Prevent Botulism

Botulism is a serious illness that occurs most often after a person has ingested food containing the bacteria Clostridium botulinum. Home-canned food and food that has been improperly handled may harbor this deadly bacteria. Botulism can also enter the body through wounds. The best way to prevent botulism is to ensure safe food preparation and seek medical attention for wounds right away.[1]

Part 1
Part 1 of 3:

Understanding Botulism

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    Learn about the different types of botulism. Botulism is rare, but when it occurs it's considered a medical emergency. No matter how botulism is contracted, it can lead to paralysis and even death.[2] Knowing how it can be contracted is the first step to prevention. Here are the different types of botulism:
    • Foodborne botulism occurs when someone eats food contaminated with bacteria.
    • Wound botulism occurs when the bacteria enters an open wound, and the body begins producing toxins as a result. This is more likely to occur for those working in dirty conditions or those who share drug needles.[3]
    • Infant botulism occurs when an infant ingests the spores of the botulinum bacteria, which then grow in the intestines and release a toxin.
    • Adult intestinal botulism occurs when an adult ingests the spores of the botulinum bacteria, which grow in the intestines and release a toxin.
    • Botulism is not contagious; however, people who eat the same food that is contaminated will likely have the same reaction. This may lead some people to think it can be "caught" from another person.
    • Botulism is still very rare to see, but it’s most common in the US in Utah, Pennsylvania, and California where the spore counts in the soil are higher.
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    Know which types can be prevented. Unfortunately, not all types of botulism can be prevented. Foodborne botulism and botulism that enters an open wound are preventable, but infant and intestinal botulism aren't. Here's what you need to know:[4]
    • Foodborne botulism can be prevented by taking proper precautions with food preparation.
    • Wound botulism can be prevented by properly cleansing and treating an open wound right away. Avoid it by never injecting or inhaling street drugs.
    • Infant botulism and intestinal botulism are caused by bacterial spores that live in dirt. No matter how clean you keep your house, or how much you keep your baby from playing outside in the dirt, there's no way to prevent these spores from entering the body. The good news is that botulism is extremely rare, and isn't fatal when it's promptly treated.[5]
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    Know the symptoms of botulism. The symptoms of botulism can appear as early as six hours after consuming tainted food, and as late as ten days later. Botulism can be fatal if it isn't treated promptly. If you experience any of the following symptoms and suspect botulism, see a doctor immediately. Here are the most common signs of botulism:[6]
    • Double vision, blurred vision, or drooping eyelids
    • Slurred speech
    • Difficulty swallowing or dry mouth
    • Muscle weakness
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    Watch for signs of infant botulism. Most cases of botulism occur in infants, so it's very important to monitor your baby for the symptoms. If your baby exhibits any of the following signs of the paralysis that occurs with botulism, go to the emergency room immediately:[7]
    • Appearance of lethargy
    • Unable to eat
    • Cries weekly
    • Has weak movements
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Part 2
Part 2 of 3:

Preventing Foodbourne Botulism

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    Know what foods are likely to have the bacteria. Botulism is most likely to be caused by consuming improperly preserved or handled food. Example of when the bacteria might exist in food include:[8]
    • Fish that has been pickled without enough salinity or acidity in the brine to kill off the bacteria
    • Smoked fish stored at too high a temperature
    • Fruits and vegetables that lack high enough acid content to kill off bacteria
    • Any canned food that hasn't been canned according to modern, standard practice
    • Honey products for any person under the age of one and for anyone whose immune system is somehow compromised, though this might be a minor cause
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    Prepare food with care. Each time you cook a meal, be sure to prepare the food in a way that's safe and sanitary. The following lists some of the basic kitchen hygiene practices that you should follow each and every time:[9]
    • Wash dirt from your fruits and vegetables. Botulinum bacteria reside in soil, and any food that still has dirt on it can present a hazard.
    • Scrub potatoes clean before baking. Potatoes that have been wrapped and cooked in aluminum foil should be kept hot until they are eaten or refrigerated.
    • Clean mushrooms before using, to remove soil.
    • Consider boiling home-canned foods for 10 minutes before eating them.
    • Homemade salsa and cheese sauces should be refrigerated.
    • Refrigerate anything made from dairy.
    • Discard heat-treated food containers where their air-tight state appears compromised, such as food cans with pinprick holes or rust.
    • And in case you're roaming or living outdoors, avoid eating old roadkill or beached sea creatures. You don't know how long these creatures have been lying about for and the bacteria may have a good hold on them.
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    Know when to throw out food. Sometimes people get botulism from eating packaged food that's been contaminated. Knowing when not to eat packaged or prepared food is a very important way to prevent botulism. Botulism spores themselves don't have a taste or smell, so don't rely on smell alone to decide if something is safe.[10]
    • If canned food is dented, partially opened, or in any way misshapen, don't eat the food inside it.
    • If canned food fizzes, bubbles or smells bad when opened, discard it.
    • If the lid pops off too easily, discard the food.
    • If food smells off, unless you know it is meant to have a foul odor, discard it (in a few cases, some edible fermented or long-stored food products naturally smell terrible to most people but these foods are rare).
    • If there is mold on or strange discoloration of the food, discard it.
    • If in any doubt, always throw it out. It's not worth the risk.
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    Don't feed honey to children under one year of age. At this young age, children's immune system hasn't developed enough to kill botulism bacteria that can sometimes grow in honey. Adults have immune systems strong enough to handle it.[11]
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Part 3
Part 3 of 3:

Using Safe Food Preservation Techniques

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    Get an up-to-date preserving recipe. Over the past 20 or so years, the home preserving and canning techniques have received an overhaul in light of modern understandings of bacteria and preserving foods. This means that books or recipes within this era should be able to provide you with safe guidelines and processes.[12]
    • Just because it's on the internet doesn't mean it's modernized. Old recipes abound online just as they do in old books! Check the source and ask questions. If in doubt, skip to a source you can actually verify as being up-to-date.
    • It may be possible to update an old preserving recipe by cross-checking with modern versions. The parts the old recipe is missing (many things were not said because cooks in former times knew by repetition what to do) may be fixable by inserting the missing steps considered crucial for safety.
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    Avoid canning foods that are low in acid unless you're properly equipped. Acidity destroys the botulinum bacteria. When there is a reduced level of acid, or none at all, the risk of the bacteria thriving increases. In particular, many vegetables do not lend themselves well to canning processes without having the ability to heat them to a very high temperature.[13]
    • Some of the low-acid vegetables that are commonly grown in the garden and that it may be tempting to can include asparagus, green beans, tomatoes, chile peppers, beets, carrots (juice), and corn.
    • It is possible to can these but only if you have equipment that allows you to heat the jars beyond the boiling point of water. This requires a specialty canner that acts as a large pressure cooker. If you do purchase one, read its instructions with great care and follow them very closely to make sure that you get it right.
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    Use the right ingredients to kill bacteria. Alcohol, brine, and sugar syrup will kill bacteria. In the case of brine and sugar syrup, these must be combined with heating, which is what kills the microorganisms. As well as killing bacteria, these bases will also kill viruses, fungi, and mold.[14]
    • Acidifying low-acid foods will help to kill bacteria but heating should still be incorporated into the process. Thus, lemon juice, citric acid, vinegar, and other acidic elements can be used to increase the acidity of preserved foods that are being preserved using a heating method.
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    Use a method that provides appropriate levels of heat to kill the bacteria. As already noted, even sea level boiling temperature is inadequate for low-acid foods (botulism bacteria can survive temperatures in excess of 212ºF/100ºC). For foods where acid is present, however, heat will destroy the bacteria in combination with the acidity. Standard modern canning techniques include:[15]
    • The pan method: Canning jars are washed and sterilized by being submerged in boiling water for five minutes. Jars are then filled with fruit and rubber seals that have been wet in the boiling water are added to the mouth of the jar before adding the lid. The jars are then returned to the pan to be simmered for the time required by the recipe.
    • The oven method: The oven is preheated, fruit is placed into jars and the lids are placed loosely on the top of the jars. The jars are placed in the oven on a tray or baking sheet and cooked for a set time (according to the recipe). They are removed from the oven, filled with boiling brine or syrup, sealed tightly, and left to cool.
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    Process any flesh product in temperatures at 240ºF/115.6ºC or higher. This is essential for destroying the spores that may be present. As with low-acid vegetables, this will require the use of a pressure canner that is capable of raising the temperature this high or higher.[16]
    • In addition, heat any canned meat product to 212ºF/100ºC after opening. Then reduce the heat and simmer for at least 15 minutes before being satisfied that the bacteria has been destroyed.[17]
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    Find alternatives that are safer than canning. Canning is an art form that requires a lot of effort and care. If this isn't of interest to you, there are still safe ways to store a glut of produce, including:[18]
    • Freezing food: Be sure to read up on the food type in question, as each food has specific freezing needs, while some foods won't survive the freezing process at all.
    • Drying food: Drying kills bacteria, yeasts, fungi, and enzymes. Again, follow modern instructions to get this right.[19]
    • Vinegar: Some foods can be stored in vinegar. This is often used for pickles, with spices added to improve flavors.
    • Smoking: Some foods, such as meat and fish, can be smoked.[20]
    • Wine, cider, beer, or spirits: Turn your fruit and vegetables into alcohol and the bacteria will certainly depart.
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    Make safe oil infusions. Any food might be contaminated if it grows in soil or has been in contact with soil. It is still safe to preserve using oil, but use the precautions explained in the following steps.[21]
    • Wash the produce well before using. Remove all traces of dirt. If peeling is the only way to ensure this, then consider peeling it.
    • Add an acidifying agent. This is required by law in the USA, for all commercial preparations of infused oils. Typical acidifying agents available in the home environment include lemon juice, vinegar, and citric acid. The ratio is one tablespoon of acidifying agent to one cup of oil.
    • Refrigerate any infused oil. If you have a very cold, dark cellar, this might be sufficient provided it stays very cold but to be on the safe side, refrigeration will generally allow for longer keeping of infused oil.
    • Discard the oil immediately if it starts to look cloudy, bubbly, or has a foul odor.
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Warnings

  • People who survive an incident of botulism poisoning may have tiredness and shortness of breath for many years and long-term therapy may be required to assist recovery.
    ⧼thumbs_response⧽
  • Botulism can result in death due to respiratory failure.
    ⧼thumbs_response⧽
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References

  1. ↑ https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/botulism/symptoms-causes/syc-20370262
  2. ↑ https://www.cdc.gov/botulism/index.html
  3. ↑ http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/botulism/basics/prevention/con-20025875
  4. ↑ https://www.cdc.gov/botulism/prevention.html
  5. ↑ http://www.cdc.gov/nczved/divisions/dfbmd/diseases/botulism/
  6. ↑ https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/botulism/symptoms-causes/syc-20370262
  7. ↑ https://www.cdc.gov/botulism/symptoms.html
  8. ↑ http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fs104
  9. ↑ https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/007441.htm
  1. ↑ https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/food-safety/faq-20058500
  2. ↑ https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/infant-and-toddler-health/expert-answers/infant-botulism/faq-20058477
  3. ↑ https://nchfp.uga.edu/
  4. ↑ https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/general/ensuring_safe_canned_foods.html
  5. ↑ https://extension.psu.edu/lets-preserve-ingredients-used-in-home-food-preservation
  6. ↑ https://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/uga/uga_dry_fruit.pdf
  7. ↑ https://extension.umn.edu/sanitation-and-illness/botulism-take-care-when-canning-low-acid-foods
  8. ↑ https://ucanr.edu/sites/MFPOC/Emergency/Botulism/
  9. ↑ https://ashe.ces.ncsu.edu/2020/08/alternatives-to-canning/
  10. ↑ https://extension.umn.edu/preserving-and-preparing/drying-food
  11. ↑ https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/smoking_as_a_food_cooking_method
  12. ↑ https://extension.psu.edu/how-to-safely-make-infused-oils

About This Article

Erik Kramer, DO, MPH
Co-authored by:
Erik Kramer, DO, MPH
Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine
This article was co-authored by Erik Kramer, DO, MPH. Dr. Erik Kramer is a Board-Certified Primary Care Physician at the University of Colorado. With over 15 years of experience, his clinical interests include obesity and weight management, diabetes care, and preventive care, as well as embracing a holistic approach to primary care. He received his Doctorate in Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) from the Touro University Nevada College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed his residency at Central Maine Medical Center. Dr. Kramer is a Diplomate of the American Board of Obesity Medicine. This article has been viewed 125,779 times.
73 votes - 86%
Co-authors: 22
Updated: February 20, 2022
Views: 125,779
Categories: Bacterial Infections

Medical Disclaimer

The content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, examination, diagnosis, or treatment. You should always contact your doctor or other qualified healthcare professional before starting, changing, or stopping any kind of health treatment.

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