In September this year, one person died and eight others were hospitalized in France due to botulism, a rare bacterial infection that paralyzes nerves. The disease is not contagious, but is caused by eating contaminated food. All the victims ate canned sardines in the same restaurant.Botulism has also affected other populations around the world, including Brazil. Although it is not an epidemic or a global outbreak, news like this worries everyone because it involves something so unusual in everyday life, which is food.
What is botulism The bacteria that causes botulism can be found in soil, untreated water, and plants. Its danger, however, comes with protection, as it proliferates in environments with low oxygen content. In these cases, the microorganisms release spores, which are toxic if ingested.
Due to this form of bacterial growth, caution is needed when consuming preserved foods. Packaging of hearts of palm, sausages and pickles are examples of places where the bacteria are more likely to be found.
On the consumer side, it is important to choose quality products to avoid risks. The protected glass must contain additional information, identifying country of origin, list of ingredients, nutrient table, expiration date, instructions for use and batch number. Buying from recognized brands is also an effort to ensure greater security. This is because the most popular companies are those that have been on the market for a long time and are in compliance with current regulations.
Another important consideration is the appearance of the packaging. If the food is in a cute jar, cloudy glass, or a different color, it is probably contaminated.
Furthermore, eating foods preserved in unfamiliar locations requires caution. This is because improper storage can also lead to toxin leakage.
For those who want to make homemade preserves, meats or vegetables, you need to boil them for 15 minutes before eating. Toxicity increases at 3ºC, so it is necessary to cook food properly to avoid damage.
If a person eats something and feels a headache, nausea, dizziness, a desire to faint or other strange symptoms, they must seek medical attention as soon as possible. Although this disease is dangerous, if treated properly, it can be cured and leaves no effect.
According to the Ministry of Health, the incubation period, that is, the time between ingestion and the appearance of symptoms, can be 2 to 10 days, but on average people experience symptoms for 12 to 36 hours, the longer the more close to the wedding.
How Companies Prevent Botulism In other words, companies must also take precautions to prevent the spread of botulism in their products. Carrying out a chemical analysis during the process is necessary and involves, for example, an approximation, which can calculate the concentration of a substance in solution.
Currently, this type of authentication is done automatically, with dedicated equipment, making the process safer and more efficient. This titration can also be used to determine whether a food contains more salt or sugar than expected. This way, manufacturers can manufacture the necessary pre-sale products.
For those who work on the other side, that is, producing dishes for the consumer, the concern should be the same with the public. In other words, only buy from brands you know, don't use foods that look different or are in clogged cans, stored in the oven before you start preparing them, and so on.
Because it is a serious disease that cannot be completely avoided, because there is no vaccine, for example, botulism requires everyone's care. It is necessary for consumers and food manufacturers to be careful so that these bacteria do not claim this. If contamination occurs, however, the patient should seek medical help as soon as possible to minimize the risk.