Botox and Botulism
Botox (Clostridium botulinum) is an anaerobic bacterium that can contaminate food making it particularly dangerous for human health.
The ingestion of these foods causes a severe intoxication, known as botulism and characterized by a specific clinical picture. After an incubation period (12-48 hours up to 8 days in exceptional cases) symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and severe muscle pain appear; important neurological problems follow, dry mouth and respiratory tract, visual changes, speech and swallowing disorders.
The rapid worsening of the already precarious general conditions can lead to death from respiratory paralysis and consequent asphyxiation.
Insights on Botulism
Although the disease is not contagious, a single gram of toxins is capable of killing ten million people, while two hundred times more would be enough to annihilate all of humanity.
Botox in Food
The term botulism was coined in 1897 by the doctor E. van Ermengen, who noted a direct association between the onset of various epidemics and the consumption of sausages (Butulus in Latin).
The presence of botulinum in the food is often announced by the swelling of the lid; sometimes there are also alterations (rancidity, appearance of molds, softening), but the extreme danger of the bacterium derives from its ability to proliferate while maintaining the organoleptic characteristics of the " food.
Fortunately, Botox can be defeated with relative ease, as long as a series of behavioral rules are adopted when preparing and storing food. We know, for example, that the toxin is inactivated by heat, oxygen and acidity. The risk of intoxication can therefore be reduced by boiling the foods at risk for at least ten minutes before their consumption. Although refrigeration can delay, but not prevent the development of the toxin, it is still important to refrigerate partially prepared foods.
Unfortunately, the botulinum spores are very resistant to heat.
- The simple boiling (reaching 100 ° C) of the food before immersion in oil is not sufficient to kill the spores (unless it is prolonged for at least 4/5 hours), on the contrary, it can even have a counterproductive effect. 5-10 minutes of boiling are however considered sufficient to deactivate the botulinum toxins; if the product is consumed immediately after boiling it can therefore be considered safe, while if it is stored, it is not possible to be 100% sure of its safety.
In case of doubt, before consuming a preserve it is therefore important to repasturize the closed jar (80 ° C for at least 20/30 minutes) or boil the contents before consuming it. - To be effective, the heat treatment must take place at 121 ° C for at least 3 minutes; such temperatures can only be reached by using the pressure cooker.
- Even if boiling does not guarantee the wholesomeness of the food, there are other interventions that can make a preserve safe. For example, the conditions of strong acidity (for example tomato puree and pickles) do not allow the development of Botox. the high concentrations of sugar (jams and marmalades) and the high concentrations of salt (canned food in brine).
In this regard, it is advisable to use a cooking liquid containing 10/15% sodium chloride (table salt - NaCl) and / or containing more than 2% acetic acid (by adding food vinegar, making the appropriate calculations based on what is reported on the label). In jams, on the other hand, it is important that the percentage of sugar reaches at least 50/60%.
Lower concentrations of vinegar, salt or sugar can be equally effective when combined with the heat treatment of boiling or pasteurization. Instead, it is necessary to reach 121 ° C for at least 3 minutes in the case of non-acidic, unsalted, unsweetened and water-rich preserves.
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If you perceive signs of the possible presence of toxins (lid lifted), before throwing it away, it is a good idea to boil the food, so as not to disperse the toxins in the environment.
BOTULIN: HOW TO RECOGNIZE IT
Possible warning signs are: a swollen metal lid, the presence of bubbles, the escape of gas or liquid, the unpleasant smell of rancid butter and an unnatural appearance. In such circumstances, AVOID tasting the product (and if possible opening it).
However, remember that the presence of botulinum and its toxins is NOT ALWAYS associated with these factors.
Since botulinum spores have been found in honey residues used by children with infant botulism, the consumption of this food should be avoided in the first twelve months of life.
In the industrial field, specific food preservatives are used, capable of preventing the multiplication of Botox. Thanks to this pretext, some of these substances, in particular nitrites and nitrates, are used to a large extent to enhance the color of the food. Unfortunately an overdose is particularly harmful not only for Botox (which would in any case be inactivated at lower concentrations ), but also for man.
Therapy
For further information: Medicines for the treatment of Botox intoxication
Until a few years ago, botulinum poisoning was often fatal (60-70% of cases). Today, thanks to the use of modern assisted artificial respiration techniques and the administration of antibotulinic serum (antitoxin), the mortality rate has dropped to 15-20%.
The chances of survival are greater the more timely the diagnosis is; in this case the therapeutic strategies are based, even before the aforementioned interventions, on the administration of purgatives or emetics, which favor the evacuation of toxins present in the digestive tract and not yet absorbed
. Supportive antibiotic therapy involves the administration of penicillin at dosages of 10-20 million IU / day.
In severe cases, complete recovery from botulism requires several months of convalescence.
