The Associated Press reported today that Castleberry’s, the plant that was the source of a botulism outbreak traced to several hot dog chili products, has closed its doors. WFAA.com out of Dallas/Fort Worth carried the AP story, "Castleberry’s shuts plant over botulism outbreak."
Over the weekend, 16 cans of chili produced at
.jpg)
Botulism is a rare but serious paralytic illness caused by a nerve toxin that is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. Clostridium botulinum is the name of a group of bacteria commonly found in soil. It is an anaerobic, gram-positive, spore-forming rod that produces a potent neurotoxin. These rod-shaped organisms grow best in low oxygen conditions. The bacteria form spores which allow them to survive in a dormant state until exposed to conditions that can support their growth. The organism and its spores are widely distributed in nature. They occur in both cultivated and forest soils, bottom sediments of streams, lakes, and coastal waters, and in the intestinal tracts of fish and mammals, and in the gills and viscera of crabs and other shellfish. There are seven types of botulism toxin designated by the letters A through G; only types A, B, E and F cause illness in humans.Continue Reading Clostridium Botulinum (Botulism)
.jpg)
The Toronto Star reports that Bolthouse Farms, the company whose carrot juice has been traced as the source of botulism and the resulting paralysis of four American citizens and two Canadians, blamed consumers for their "failure to properly refrigerate" Bolthouse Farms carrot juice today.
"It appears that it was consumers that did not take the
Ruths Blogboard has a post all about botulism.
"With foodborne botulism, symptoms begin within 6 hours to 2 weeks (most commonly between 12 and 36 hours) after eating toxin-containing food. Symptoms of botulism include double vision, blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, dry mouth, muscle weakness that always descends through the body: first
.jpg)
Two Toronto residents are paralyzed in hospital after they drank toxic carrot juice purchased in Toronto that has been recalled across North America.
"There are two adults who are severely ill in hospital and they had a history of drinking the exact same juice that’s been part of the carrot juice recall," said Dr. Elizabeth
On Friday, September 29, 2006, Acting State Public Health Officer Dr. Howard Backer advised consumers not to drink Bolthouse Farms Carrot Juice in 450 milliliter and one liter plastic bottles with use by dates of Nov. 11, 2006, or earlier in response to four cases of botulism linked to the product. Three members of one family in Georgia and a Florida resident became ill with botulism after consuming the product. No recent illnesses associated with this product have been reported in California.
Consistent with a warning issued on Friday, September 29, 2006 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Backer also advised consumers to keep carrot juice, including pasteurized carrot juice, refrigerated. To date, one link between the illness and the consumers appears to be that the juice they drank was not properly refrigerated once it was in the home. Other possible links are under investigation.Continue Reading State Health Department Advises Consumers Not to Drink Bolthouse Farms Carrot Juice Due to Botulism Concerns
Per an FDA Media Release, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is advising consumers of the vital importance of keeping carrot juice – including pasteurized carrot juice – refrigerated.
There are three cases of botulism in the state of Georgia associated with pasteurized carrot juice that may have been due to the product not being properly refrigerated. FDA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and health authorities in Georgia have been closely monitoring and continue to investigate these three cases of foodborne botulism.Continue Reading FDA consumer advisory on refrigeration of carrot juice
Per the CDC, on March 15, 2006, multiple persons with symptoms of nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and dyspnea visited the emergency department at Baan Luang district hospital in Nan province, Thailand; one person required mechanical ventilation. A team from the Bureau of Epidemiology, Department of Disease Control, Thailand Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) initiated an investigation, in collaboration with the Surveillance and Rapid Response Team from Baan Luang district. This report summarizes the investigation conducted during March 15–26, which determined that the outbreak was caused by foodborne botulism from home-canned bamboo shoots and affected 163 rural villagers who shared a common meal. The last case was identified March 21; no further cases of foodborne botulism have been identified in the region.
Continue Reading CDC: Botulism from home-canned bamboo shoots
Garlic-in-oil mixtures, sold in jars in grocery stores, are popular with the busy cook. But making your own garlic, herbs or hot peppers-in-oil mixtures at home can be hazardous to your health, because bacteria that cause botulism can grow, according to Carolyn Raab, food and nutrition specialist with the Oregon State University Extension Service.
Commercial garlic-in-oil mixtures are acidified to prevent bacterial growth. Most of these store-bought products can be stored safely at room temperature. Look for storage instructions on the label.
Unfortunately, do-it-yourself acidification of homemade herb or vegetables-in-oil mixtures is risky, because not enough research has been conducted to know how much acid is needed to prevent bacterial growth.
These low-acid foods can be a source of ‘Clostridium botulinum’ bacteria, according to Raab.Continue Reading News From Oregon Extension Service: Homemade Herbs & Vegetables In Oil May Be Hazardous To Health