Did You Know This About Botulism?
I suspect most of you think about Salmonella and Botulism about as much as I do. And that's probably never or close to never. If you'd ask me about either I would have stated you get some issues in your stomach and maybe intestines and then it usually goes away. That could be true for Salmonella but Botulism is a whole different puppy.
So far this year there have been recalls of salmon, caviar, pork soup and just this week cheese dip because of the possibility of botulism.
Here's the first surprise I found. The bacteria that causes botulism only thrives in oxygen free areas. I would have thought just the opposite. You can contract botulism not just through food consumption but also through wounds. Besides food, contaminated soil is another place to find botulism.
In my first paragraph I mentioned what I assumed would be the symptoms of botulism. I was sure wrong. Blurred vision, slurred speech, drooping eyelids and shortness of breath are symptoms. Are you thinking what I am? This sounds similar to a cardiac incident.
Canned food including your own home canning can pose a risk for botulism. There's one more thing I'd like to mention and I bet you didn't know this. Potatoes cooked in aluminum foil can create an oxygen free zone which can allow Botulism to develop. After cooking it's recommended to keep the potatoes hot or put them in the frig. I had no idea. Be careful when grilling out this summer.
Read more about a recent botulism recall here