Controlling botulinum is a vital element of food safety that can have dire consequences if ignored

What is Botulinum?

Botulinum is a species of the?Clostridium, and so is also called C botulinum. This bacterium can produce deadly toxins in low-oxygen conditions, such as inside vacuum packed or canned foods as well as foods with high oil content.

Unlike many other pathogens, labs do not routinely test for?C botulinum. Even if you test a sample of the food product, you cannot guarantee that the rest of the batch will be free from contamination. However, due to its toxicity, you must be certain. Most labs also do not have the containment levels required to propagate it.?

How it is controlled

There are a few ways you can control?C botulinum:

• By freezing the food, which works by inhibiting botulinum rather than destroying it. This means that, once the food is thawed, the botulinum can begin to take effect again. Short shelf-lives of <10 days are therefore required post thawing for products stored at temperatures >3°C.
• With high heat/temperature combinations, like those used in canning.
• By maintaining a low moisture content or pH throughout the food.

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How EMS can help

At Express Micro Science, we have the expertise and capability to test for the growth controlling factors of C botulinum. We test your product to prove that the pathogen cannot grow under chilled conditions, which means that longer shelf-lives can be achieved. This involves testing:

• pH: food must be at pH 5 or less throughout the food or throughout all components of complex foods.
• Aqueous salt: food must have 3.5% or greater salt content in the aqueous phase throughout the food or components of complex food.
• Water activity (aw): food must have 0.97aw?or less throughout the food and throughout all components of complex foods.

If your product meets any of the above requirements, you can safely extend your product’s shelf-life beyond 10 days.

For more information on our food microbiology services, visit our website.

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Author:?Jennifer Newton

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