Clostridium Botulinum: A Practical Approach to the Organism and Its Control in Foods

Clostridium botulinum produces a neurotoxin which causes the severe, often fatal illness, botulism. As a spore-forming bacterium requiring anaerobic conditions for growth, C. botulinum is a potential hazard associated with a wide range of both ambient stable and chilled foods. Despite the knowledge and understanding accumulated about C. botulinum since 1897 when the organism was first isolated from a food responsible for a fatal botulism outbreak, foodborne botulism still occurs in countries all around the world. As new outbreaks are reported implicating yet more food types and food processes, so the food industry needs to regularly review processes and product characteristics to assure their safety in respect of this important organism. The Practical Food Microbiology Series has been devised to give practical and accurate information about specific organisms of concern to public health. The information is designed for use by those in the food industry working in manufacturing, retailing and quality assurance, those in associated professional sectors e.g. public health, and students in each of these areas. The series is unique in its practical approach as it draws on real life situations to highlight practical means for controlling the organism in foods.This book details the causes of selected outbreaks and incidents of foodborne botulism and assesses the lessons that can be learnt from them. It examines the characteristics of C. botulinum (proteolytic and non-proteolytic types) and identifies factors which make foods susceptible to contamination and growth of these organisms. Specific product sectors are used to indicate practical measures that can be applied to control C. botulinum in foods and minimise its potential to cause harm to the consumer.