The New York City Health Department has released a warning about non-refrigerated fresh bulk tofu. There has been one confirmed and one suspected case of botulism, a very serious and rare foodborne illness, linked to that product.
There have only been two cases of foodborne botulism in the city in fifteen years. The current patients purchased unrefrigerated fresh bulk tofu from the same store in Flushing. The Department is warning consumers to discard all fresh bulk tofu purchased from any New York City stores that was not refrigerated at the time of purchase.
Unfortunately, cooking a product that is contaminated with Clostridium botulinum does not make it safe because heat does not destroy the bacteria’s spores. If you have made fermented tofu from fresh bulk tofu, discard that as well.
Symptoms of botulism poisoning include double vision, blurred vision, weakness or paralysis, difficulty swallowing, speaking, and breathing, and poor reflexes. The symptoms usually appear 12 – 36 hours after eating contaminated food. If left untreated, botulism can be fatal.
