Canned Food
Poisoning
Sometimes,
improperly canned foods can result in what is known as canned food poisoning or
botulism, which is a rod-shaped spore that releases a very strong neurotoxin
released by the Clostridium botulinum bacteria. It results in diarrhea,
blurred vision, vomiting, respiratory failure, paralysis, muscle weakness,
difficulty swallowing and death. The causes of botulism are primarily
home-canned vegetables and canned foods.
Symptoms: While botulism is got from home-canned goods, another
source of it is processed canned foods. Its symptoms usually surface about
18-36 hours after eating the contaminated food, or six hours after and may take
up to a maximum of 10 days to show up. These symptoms are:
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| Canned Food Poisoning |
- Nervous system
symptoms: When botulism affects the nervous system, it results in slurred
speech, difficulty swallowing and muscle weakness. It also debilitates the
body’s muscle tone, beginning with the shoulders, and then extending to
the arms, thighs, calves and feet. If left ignored, it could result in
paralysis.
- Vision symptoms:
When botulism strikes, it results in blurred vision and double vision and
drooping eyelids.
- Mouth symptoms:
Food-borne botulism affects the mouth and results in a dry mouth,
difficulty with swallowing food and slurred speech.
- Gastrointestinal
symptoms: Due to botulism, sufferers experience nausea, vomiting and
stomach cramps.
Treating botulism: If detected early, botulism can be treated
by taking a Botulin antitoxin within 72 hours of having the first of Botulism’s
symptoms. Also, it is essential to keep the sufferer breathing despite his
breathing difficulties and vomiting. Administering gastric lavage is also
necessary to get the poison out of the patient’s body and preventing
further botulinum damage.
Preventing canned food poisoning: Canned food poisoning or botulism is due to
improperly canned foods. Botulism is a rod-shaped spore that grows
anaerobically or in the air and produces a strong poison called neurotoxin
which causes vomiting, blurred vision, diarrhea, muscle weakness, difficulty
swallowing, respiratory failure and death, and in extreme cases paralysis too.
However, there are ways of preventing this condition, such as:
- Before you buy a
canned product, inspect it for bulges, cracks, a broken seal and dents.
- After buying, store
cans in a cool and dry place at constant room temperature.
- Get rid of tomatoes
and fruit kept for over 18 months, though it is safe to keep meat products
for five years.
- Before using the
product, clean the top and check for leakages or rusting.
- If, while opening
the can, you find the liquid squirting out or foaming, or if it is
discolored, moldy or smells peculiar, throw it out.
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