Dr. Le Quoc Hung , Head of the Department of Tropical Diseases, Cho Ray Hospital, replied: Botulinum toxin is produced by the bacteria clostridium botulinum, this is an extremely strong poison, can cause death in small amounts.
Clostridium botulinum bacteria live in anaerobic environments, which means environments without air and very low oxygen levels. Normally, in our living environment, these bacteria cannot survive due to the high oxygen levels. Therefore, they will automatically adapt by creating spores - which are shells that help the bacteria hibernate there, inactive but also not dead.
During food preparation, attention must be paid to hygiene to avoid contamination that causes food poisoning.
Clostridium botulinum bacteria are everywhere around us, especially in sandy soil.
When we process, package, can, seal, or wrap food in plastic without oxygen inside, it will create conditions for the bacteria clostridium botulinum to reactivate and grow, which is the cause of botulinum poisoning.
Therefore, we need to pay attention during processing and preservation. In the first stage of processing fresh food, it must be done in a clean environment. That means we must regularly clean and sanitize the processing area and food storage jars to avoid dust and sand sticking to them.
The second stage is the packaging process to preserve the product. When we package food, it will create conditions for botulinum bacteria to reactivate. Food manufacturers often irradiate the packaging to ensure food safety. At home, if you do not have professional techniques, you should not tightly package food.
The third stage is the stage of using food, we must check the expiration date. Usually the manufacturer will calculate, the product can be used within a certain period of time to ensure safety, no bacteria growth. Therefore, absolutely do not use expired food.
For pickled foods, you should use an acidity or saltiness of over 5%, that is 5% grams of salt/100 grams of food. In an environment that is too salty, bacteria cannot grow.
Do not use food when it no longer has natural flavor or changes color or smell.
In addition, cooking food at 100 degrees Celsius for 10 to 15 minutes will also limit botulinum poisoning.
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