Botulism in Cans

What is Botulism?

First off, what is botulism?
Botulism (commonly misspelled Botchulism because that’s the way that it sounds) is a type of deadly food poisoning which occurs from ingesting the poisonous bacteria Clostridium Botulinum. If the bacteria was present in the soil where the fresh produce grew and the canning process was incorrectly executed, the bacteria could grow inside the can and become toxic. It takes extremely high heat to kill these spores. Vegetables most susceptible to picking up this bacteria are low in acidity. For instance; corn, beets, green beans and peas. Home canning is more often suspect than commercial canned goods because they are produced in factories that are governed by strict FDA standards.

If clostridium botulinum contaminated food is eaten symptoms will develop within 12 to 48 hours. Toxins attack the nervous system and cause such symptoms as double vision and trouble with swallowing and breathing. An antitoxin is needed as soon as possible, which reduces the possiblity of death from suffocation, but may still leave nerve damage. [1]

As you can see, the signs of botulism are important to know, along with the instruction to NEVER taste test any food that is suspect to contain the toxin.

How to Spot Signs of Botulism in Cans

Although home canning is most susceptible to botulism, all canned goods should be inspected prior to use. Following are bad signs if present in a can.

Signs of Botulism in Cans:

Don’t even begin to taste any foods from containers that show any of the following signs of botulism. If it looks suspicious or possesses any of the following qualities, then see below on how to properly dispose of the can or jar. Yes, both cans and jars could possibly carry botulism. The risk is greater in home canned goods when proper canning procedures have not been followed.

A leaking can. Don’t even open this one.

A bulging can. Don’t even open this one.

A badly dented or rusted can.

A cracked jar.

A jar with a bulging lid.

A previously unopened jar with a loose lid.

An exploding can. Any container that spurts out liquid when it is being opened is bad.

A loud hissing sound when opening the can.

Canned food with a foul odor. This could include a chemical smell.

A milky liquid (that should be clear) surrounding the contents.

Rising bubbles surrounding the fruits or vegetables.

What if you find a can suspect of carrying the bacteria?

Proper disposal is important to also safeguard children, animals and anyone else who might rummage through the trash and encounter this dangerous bacteria.

Follow these steps to properly dispose of a can suspect of carrying botulism:
1) Place the can into a plastic bag and then tightly seal the bag.
2) Place that bag into another bag and seal again.
3) Then place the bag into a trash receptacle outside of the house.

According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) botulism can infect from ingestion or it can enter through the skin. See these instructions for how to dispose of an infected can if the can was opened before botulism was suspected. The contents and the container must be carefully detoxified before disposal.