What Is Botulism?
Reviewed: Dr. Gromatzky
2. Foodborne Botulism
Botulism is not always found in the body voluntarily. Food botulism is the name given to the illness that had been contracted from the toxin in food. It most often occurs in cases where food has been prepared at home and then canned. The bacterium responsible requires very little oxygen in order to thrive, enabling it to continue to produce the toxin even after the food has been canned.
This tends to occur in foods that have low acid levels, such as fish, fruits, and vegetables. When food is canned in industrial settings then the bacterium is usually destroyed to prevent the toxin from being produced.
Advertisement
