Barbecue cooks must know about botulism

By JOE O'CONNELL, cbbqa past President

Barbecue cooks should be familiar with food poisoning and its major causes, including botulism..

Botulism

Botulism is the name for the poison which is caused by the bacteria Clostridium botulinum.  Botulism is very rare, but it is deadly.  The botulism-causing bacteria is widespread in the environment and present in the soil and water.  

Like perfringens, the botulinum bacteria grows best in anaerobic (reduced oxygen) conditions.  Since the canning and vacuum processes force air out of food, the botulinum bacteria thrives in improperly processed foods.  The risk is greatest for foods which are canned or vacuumed at home by cooks who fail to follow the safe-handling procedures.

Someone who eats botulism-contaminated food will develop symptoms in from 12 to 48 hours.  The poison attacks the nervous system causing double vision, droopy eyelids, trouble swallowing and difficult with breathing.  Without treatment, a victim may die of suffocation.  There is an antitoxin which reduces the number of deaths from botulism, but patients may still suffer nerve damage, and recovery is often slow.

To avoid the risk of botulism poisoning, canned and vacuuming must be done strictly in accordance with the safety instructions for that particular equipment and food.  Furthermore, food which has been canned or vacuum-sealed should be inspected carefully to ensure that it has not been punctured, has not swelled up (an indication that the botulism-causing bacteria has been multiplying), and that they contain no milky-colored liquids (which should be clear).  Even a very small amount of botulism is highly poisonous.
 

Related information

• See the related Bibliography of Barbecue Health and Safety