Did you know that baked potatoes and cooked rice are potentially risky foods? Those foods seem so innocuous, but they both can cause serious illness if not refrigerated promptly and reheated properly before eating. Both of these foods are called TCS, which stands for time/temperature control for safety. For baked potatoes, the risk is botulism, but only if the potato is cooked and cooled while completely wrapped in aluminum foil. The foil can create a low oxygen environment where the pathogen can grow and produce the toxin. Potatoes are a low acid food, which puts them in the high risk category for botulism poisoning. In fact, a botulism outbreak linked to home canned potato salad served at a church picnic in 2015 sickened 21 people. One woman died. When you cook a baked potato … [Read more...]
How Do You Know If You Have a Botulism Infection?
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 … [Read more...]
Aqua Okeano Fish Products Recalled in Canada For Possible Botulism
Aqua Okeano fish products and Aqua Okeano / Seven Baskets fish products are being recalled in Canada for possible botulism contamination. There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of these products. These products were sold in Ontario and Quebec and may have been sold at the retail level nationwide. The recalling company is Fresh 7 Baskets. These products may permit the growth of Clostridium botulinum, which produces a deadly toxin. All of these products with best by dates up to and including 2021 AU 23 are recalled. You can see pictures of product packages at the CFIA web site. The recalled Aqua Okeano products are Fish Ball with Cuttlefish in 200 gram packages with UPC number 6 285048 270002; Fried Fish Ball in 200 gram packages with UPC number 6 285048 … [Read more...]
Cielo Glamping Maritime Clams Recalled in Canada For Possible Botulism
Cielo Glamping Maritime clams are being recalled in New Brunswick, Canada because they may permit the growth of Clostridium botulinum bacteria. There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of this product. The recalled products were sold from Cielo Glamping Maritime, located at 232 Chemin des Huîtres, in Haut-Shippigan New Brunswick. They are bottled clams, with no label, that were sold in 500 ml and 1 liter glass jars with a metal lid. There is no UPC number on the product. Foods contaminated with the Clostridium botulinum toxin will not look, smell, or taste spoiled, and the texture is not affected. A tiny amount of this toxin can make you very sick and can kill. Symptoms of botulism poisoning in adults can include facial paralysis, loss of expression, … [Read more...]
Lobster and Crab Recalled For Possible Botulism in Canada
Denis Losier is recalling Lobster and Crab, both packed in brine, that were sold in jars with no labels, because they may be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum bacteria that can produce the deadly botulinum toxin. These products were sold in New Brunswick and Quebec in Canada. The Lobster in brine and Crab in brine were sold in jars with no labels with no brand name. The recalled products are Lobster in brine sold in 250 ml or 500 ml Mason jars with no UPC number. All units sold up to and including November 13, 2019 are recalled. They were sold at Marché G & D, at 1006 Saint-Laurent Blvd., in Montréal, Quebec and distributed in New Brunswick by Denis Losier, Tracadie in New Brunswick. The recalled Crab in brine also has no brand name and no UPC number. It was also sold 250 … [Read more...]
Mill Stream Cold Smoked Salmon Recalled For Possible Botulism
Ten lots of Mill Stream Cold Smoked Salmon are being recalled because they may be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum bacteria, which can cause life-threatening illness or death. Consumers are told to not eat this product even if it doesn't look or smell spoiled; this pathogen does not affect the taste or texture of food. No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this recall. The product's water phase salt (WPS) tested below 3.5%, which permits the growth of the anaerobic bacteria such as Clostridium botulinum. Laboratory certificates incorrectly reported the WPS levels. In addition, labeling instructions on the salmon state it must be kept refrigerated at or below 38°F and that the product may be frozen. But with a low WPS, any product packaged in oxygen-free … [Read more...]
MF Fishballs Recalled For Possible Botulism Contamination
Mannarich Foods is recalling MF Fishballs from the marketplace in Canada because they may be contaminated with botulism toxin. There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of these products. The recalled products were "previously frozen." They were distributed at the retail level in Ontario and Quebec. The recalled products are all MF Fishballs and other seafood products. All units sold up to and including October 21, 2019 are recalled. They include Fishballs (previously frozen) in 180 gram packages. The UPC number on the product is 0 68636 03040 2. Also recalled is Premium cuttle fish balls (previously frozen) in 180 gram packages with UPC number 0 68636 02030 4. Lobster flavored fishballs (previously frozen) in 180 gram packages with UPC number 0 68636 03430 1 … [Read more...]
Arla Apetina Marinated Feta & Olives Recalled For Possible Botulism
UNFI is voluntarily recalling Arla Apetina Marinated Feta & Olives in Oil, Pitted for possible Clostridium botulinum contamination. The product must be refrigerated, and some of the product distributed from 2 UNFI distribution centers may have been exposed to temperatures above refrigeration during storage and/or distribution. This may allow the growth of Clostridium botulinum bacteria. The bacteria, which grow under anaerobic conditions, can produce a toxin called botulinum toxin that can cause serious illness and death. Any canned or jarred foods must be carefully produced and maintained to reduce the risk of this hazard. A total of 75 cases of this product were distributed to 69 retail customers located in Greenwood, Indiana and Sarasota, Florida between January 1, 2019 and … [Read more...]
Roland Lumpfish Caviar Recalled For Possible Botulism Contamination
Roland Foods of New York, New York is recalling its red and black lumpfish caviar products because they may be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum, which products the botulism toxin. Consumers are warned not to eat the product. This toxin does not change the appearance, taste, aroma, or texture of food. No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this issue. The Red Lumpfish Caviar and Black Lumpfish Caviar are packaged in glass jars. They were distributed nationwide to retailers and foodservice distributors across the country. The recalled products are Roland Black Caviar Whole Grain Lumpfish in four different size packages, and Roland Red Caviar Whole Grain Lumpfish, also sold in four different size packages. The UPC numbers for the recalled Black Caviar product … [Read more...]
Recall of AWERS Grained Salmon Caviar For Botulism Expanded
The recall of AWERS Grained Salmon Caviar (Sockeye Salmon Caviar) for possible Clostridium botulinum contamination that was posted on August 16, 2019 has been expanded to include more "best before" codes. No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this issue. The recalled products is Grained Salmon Caviar sold in 95 gram tins. The codes that are recalled have these dates: "BEST BEFORE JUL 03 2020” “BEST BEFORE JUL 15 2020” “BEST BEFORE SEP 17 2020” “BEST BEFORE OCT 07 2020” “BEST BEFORE OCT 13 2020” These products could be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum, a bacteria that produces the botulism toxin that can be fatal if ingested. This toxin can be present in foods even though the product looks, smells, and tastes normal. Do not try even a … [Read more...]
