Home canned nopales are associated with a California botulism outbreak, according to news reports. Two women are in the ICU, and in all, 10 people got sick. This happened at a family party near Fresno, California. The other eight patients have been released. No new cases have been reported. The first people who got sick … Read more
If you have an overflowing garden, or if you frequent farmers’ markets, you know that it’s time to can produce. Do you know how to can safely? Canning food, especially any low acid food such as vegetables, can be hazardous because of the pathogen Clostridium botulinum. This bacteria produces spores which grow under low acid, … Read more
A home canning warning has been issued by the Gray’s Harbor County Public Health Department after a man living in Aberdeen, Washington died of possible botulism. The man was 55 to 65 years old. No further information on him is available. Confirmation of the case of death is pending confirmatory results. The property owner was … Read more
Now that the first frost has occurred, the growing season is over in the upper Midwest. Many people are canning foods from their garden and those items purchased at farmers’ markets. But you need to know these tips for avoiding botulism when canning foods at home. Canning means you are enclosing food in an anaerobic … Read more
With harvest season upon us, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently issued important information, through Foodsafety.gov, about the dangers of botulism and the steps home canners should take to prevent the proliferation of toxins in their canned goods. Armed with this knowledge, home cooks will be able to ensure that the foods … Read more
A second fatality has been associated with the botulism outbreak linked to a potluck meal at Cross Pointe Free Will Baptist Church in Ohio one year ago, according to WSYX/WTTE in Ohio. Marcella Barbee, 65, died in November 2015 after contracting botulism at the April 2015 potluck, according to the report. Previously, one fatality had been reported … Read more
Home canning is a great way to preserve the bounty of your backyard harvest, but improper technique can cause serious illness and death. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has compiled some tips on home canning, the most common source of foodborne botulism. Tips from the CDC for proper home canning technique include making … Read more