Botulism
By Ben and Ethan
Foods ar risk:
Improperly processed home-canned low-acid foods and raw fish.
Sypmtons:
Double vision, inability to swallow, speech difficulty, progressive respiratory paralysis that can lead to death, symptoms may appear within 4 to 36 hours after eating.
Warnings to abide by:
Do not eat if...
- If the can is leaky, bulgy, or swollen.
- Container looks damaged, cracked, or abnormal.
- The container spurts liquid or foam when opened.
- If food is discolored, moldy, or smells bad.
Do not open or puncture any unopened cans, commercially or home canned if suspected of contamination.
Prevention:
- Check Grandma's canning techniques and make sure they follow the up to date canning techniques.
- Use a pressure canner or cooker.
- Be sure the gauge of the pressure cooker or canner is accurate.
- Use up to date process times for the kinds of food.
- Do not use boiling water canners because they will not protect against botulism.
Facts:
- Botulism is very rare one in five US households can their own food and around 60% is canned vegetables.
- Home canned vegetables are the most common cause of botulism outbreaks in the US.
- From 1996 to 2008 there were 116 reported outbreaks of botulism.
Sites:
G-W Online. Web. 31 Aug. 2015.