Botulism is one of the scariest and most lethal foodborne illness infections. The bacteria Clostridium botulinum produces a toxin as it grows. A tiny, tiny amount of that toxin is enough to kill an adult. So how do you know if you have a botulism infection?
Most people think that botulism outbreaks are tied to canned food. It’s true that the bacterium grows in an anaerobic environment, which means that there is no air in the container that holds the food. But botulism can also grow in honey, which is why babies under the age of 1 should never be given honey.
And a deadly botulism outbreak linked to nacho cheese sauce served at Valley Oak and Fuel in Walnut Grove, California in May, 2017 sickened 10 people and killed one person.
The bacteria and the toxin do not change how the food looks, smells, or tastes, and the texture is not affected. The only way to protect canned food against this toxin is to make sure that all canned food is made according to food safety regulations.
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