Document Detail


Science, practice, and human errors in controlling Clostridium botulinum in heat-preserved food in hermetic containers.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  20501056     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
The incidence of botulism in canned food in the last century is reviewed along with the background science; a few conclusions are reached based on analysis of published data. There are two primary aspects to botulism control: the design of an adequate process and the delivery of the adequate process to containers of food. The probability that the designed process will not be adequate to control Clostridium botulinum is very small, probably less than 1.0 x 10(-6), based on containers of food, whereas the failure of the operator of the processing equipment to deliver the specified process to containers of food may be of the order of 1 in 40, to 1 in 100, based on processing units (retort loads). In the commercial food canning industry, failure to deliver the process will probably be of the order of 1.0 x 10(-4) to 1.0 x 10(-6) when U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations are followed. Botulism incidents have occurred in food canning plants that have not followed the FDA regulations. It is possible but very rare to have botulism result from postprocessing contamination. It may thus be concluded that botulism incidents in canned food are primarily the result of human failure in the delivery of the designed or specified process to containers of food that, in turn, result in the survival, outgrowth, and toxin production of C. botulinum spores. Therefore, efforts in C. botulinum control should be concentrated on reducing human errors in the delivery of the specified process to containers of food.
Authors:
Irving J Pflug
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Journal of food protection     Volume:  73     ISSN:  0362-028X     ISO Abbreviation:  J. Food Prot.     Publication Date:  2010 May 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2010-05-26     Completed Date:  2010-06-29     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  7703944     Medline TA:  J Food Prot     Country:  United States    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  993-1002     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Minnesota, 1334 Eckles Avenue, St. Paul, Minnesota 55108-1038, USA. pflug001@umn.edu
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Botulinum Toxins / biosynthesis*
Botulism / prevention & control
Clostridium botulinum / growth & development,  metabolism,  physiology*
Consumer Product Safety
Food Contamination / prevention & control*
Food Handling / methods
Food Packaging / methods*,  standards*
Food Preservation
Humans
Legislation, Food
Spores, Bacterial / growth & development*
Temperature
Time Factors
United States
United States Food and Drug Administration
Chemical
Reg. No./Substance:
0/Botulinum Toxins

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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