Jeff Kurn, age 10, of Phoenix, Arizona, for his question:
What exactly is botulism?
We hear that botulism is a deadly food poisoning and many of us dread when and where it will strike next. But modern scientists know the secrets of botulism and how to avoid its dangerous poison. As usual, the more we know about hidden dangers, the safer we are.
In this time of food shortages, many families plan to grow their own vegetables and can them in tins or glass jars. Some people will not do this because they know that home canning may result in this deadly food poisoning called botulism. Actually this project is unsafe for people who are careless in their work. But it is a splendid project for those who can study and follow the rules in precise detail.
We can get these details from the Department of Agriculture and from other recent books and booklets which these experts recommend. Do not rely on grandma's recipes or on old library books. We need the very latest scientific information on the subject. We also need to study and understand the projects well ahead of when the foods are ready for canning.
Basically, the latest and safest information explains how botulism works to contaminate our foods and how these sneaky tricks can be stopped in their tracks. The culprit is a bacterium with the fancy name Clostridium botulinum. These bacteria are in soil and so are their spores for the next generation.
Scientists discovered that botulism bacteria create their deadly poison only when they thrive and multiply. And they cannot do this when oxygen is present. Trouble begins when they are put in jars and cans. Then the spores hatch and multiply and as they grow, they give off this deadly poison.
The trick, of course, is to stop the little monsters from growing.
One weapon is heat, though the spores are so tough that they can survive six hours of ordinary boiling. Another weapon is acid. Low acid foods, such as green beans, are more risky than high acid tomatoes. The canning recipes are different for each type of food and some require pressure cooking at 240 to 250 degrees.
These are some of the reasons behind the detailed canning recipes, which are different for different types of food. When we understand the recipes and obey all the precise details, it is safe to put up our foods in cans or glass jars. However, the project calls for several pairs of helping hands plus keen eyes to take temperatures and clock cooking times. Also the family canning project must be supervised by an adult.
The booklets and instructions from health authorities give recipes that also protect us from various salmonellas and other enemy bacteria. But the worst of this tribe is the deadly poison created by the botulism bacteria. One little milligram of this ghastly stuff is enough to wipe out about 5,000 guinea pigs. And even a tiny taste can be fatal to humans.