Re: [CH] Can you spell botulism?
Charles Demas (demas@sunspot.tiac.net)
Sun, 1 Aug 1999 11:03:48 -0400 (EDT)
On Sun, 1 Aug 1999, Constance Allen wrote:
> Does anyone know if irradiation of the produce will prevent
> the botulism or does irradiation just give produce a longer
> shelf life???
I am not involved or an expert in this area, I've only done a bunch
of online reading about irradiation, but here's what I think:
Irradiation should probably kill botulism spores as well as other
bacteria, but to my knowledge, botulism spores are not being looked
at as a prime target for what irradiation is attempting to attack.
The danger of recontamination by the ever-present botulism spore and the
reintroduction of that spore later into the canning process would still be
a problem, even with irradiation.
Remember, adults have no problem ingesting the botulism spores, we do it
every day. Botulism spores are only dangerous if placed in an environment
in which they can develop into vegetative cells which then produce the
botulism toxin. That environment is an anaerobic one, with a pH greater
than 4.6, and a moisture level greater than a certain level (35 % IIRC).
Even then, it must be at a temperature that allows the spores to develop,
and that development takes time (temperature dependant).
Chuck Demas
Needham, Mass.
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