In recent years, homemade fermented foods are gaining popularity, providing people with delicious, wholesome, and fun kitchen experiences. Videos teaching people how to make them are also emerging on the Internet. However, these delicacies might pose a great danger to people’s life.
In July, Guangdong reported two cases of suspected botulism relating to fermented foodstuffs.
How toxic is the botulinum toxin?
The botulinum toxin, produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum (C. botulinum) under anaerobic conditions, is even more poisonous than cyanide.
The common forms of botulism are:
*Foodborne botulism.
*Wound or inhalation botulism.
*Iatrogenic botulism. It happens when too much botulinum toxin is injected for cosmetic or medical reasons.
What foods may cause botulism?
Early investigations show that the so-called “all-natural, additive-free” home fermented and pickled foods, such as cured meat, preserved pork, kimchi, fermented black beans, chilli-bean paste, fermented bean curd, and stinky tofu, are usually the culprits of botulism.
Other reported cases are associated with stale fish, pork, pork liver, and improperly canned, bottled, and frozen foods.
In addition, feeding babies honey may be risky, too. The contaminated pollen might be picked up and brought to the hive by bees, thus bringing the bacteria and their spores to the honey. Babies under the age of 1 have an immature digestive system that cannot move C. botulinum spores through their gut quickly enough to keep them from germinating. Therefore, people should not feed honey to babies for their safety.
What are the symptoms of botulism?
Unlike general food poisoning, botulism does not show clear signs in the digestive tract, such as nausea, vomiting, and stomachache, but mainly neurological symptoms.
Early symptoms include vertigo, neck weakness, limb numbness, and trouble moving the tongue, followed by multiple muscle paralysis, drooping eyelids, blurred vision, and trouble opening and closing the eyes.
In worse cases, patients may have difficulty in mouth opening, chewing and swallowing, slurred speech, hoarseness or loss of voice, dryness and tightness in the throat, and drooling. Symptoms can progress to chest tightness, difficulty in breathing, and paralysis of limbs, yet the patient stays conscious the whole time.
Botulism may affect the respiratory muscles, leading to respiratory failure ultimately. Without immediate treatment, the disease can be fatal in more than 30% of cases.
How to prevent foodborne botulism?
*Do not purchase food from unknown sources.
*Follow the instructions and food sanitation requirements when making fermented food at home.
*Cook meat thoroughly.
If there is a suspected case of botulism, please seek medical help as soon as possible.
Author | Teria Wang (intern), Hannah
Editor | Olivia, Steven, Abby, James
Source | Guangdong CDC
