The foods most involved in cases of botulism that occur in Italy belong to the category of vegetable preserves in oil (47.7%), vegetable preserves in water/brine (25.5%), meat preserves (7.8% ), canned fish (7.8%), ham (4.6%), salami and sausages (3.3%), canned cheese (2.0%), macrobiotic foods (1.3%). The preparations most frequently implicated in cases of food botulism which have occurred in Italy are home-produced mushroom preserves in oil. Preserves of olives and turnip tops are also very common.
Thanks to the consolidated tradition of preparing food preserves at home, botulism remains a public health problem in Italy, especially in the southern regions.
FoodWorld 