Canned Food Poisoning Symptoms!
If your canned food is acted upon by botulism spores, you might not know by its taste or smell. But you will notice some changes in the jars, they will appear cracked or bloated. However, sometimes it might not be visible when the botulism is very less.
In that case, if you consume the food you might have a few symptoms. What symptoms? The following are a few possible reactions that can be caused by botulism spores in the human body:
- Difficulty in speaking or swallowing food
- Extreme dryness in the mouth
- Double vision or blurry vision and sagging eyelids
- Difficulties in breathing
- Stomach cramps, vomiting and nausea
Types Of Botulism
Botulism is broadly classified into three different types. All of them are mentioned in the following points:
- Foodborne Botulism: This is botulism that is caused by food. This happens when home canned foods are exposed to improper storage conditions. This further leads to an effect of hazardous bacteria thus producing toxins in the food.
- Wound Botulism: These bacteria create major infections when they react with any cut or wound. The deadly bacteria produces toxins thus worsening the wound or cut.
- Infant Botulism: Infants are prone to botulism when the bacterial spores proliferate in a baby’s digestive system. This is intestinal, and sometimes adults can suffer from this too.
While these types of botulism are deadly and seriously life-threatening. You would be glad to know that botulism is rare. It does not occur easily and can be simply prevented. You just have to be careful.
How Long Does It Take For Botulism To Grow In Canned Food?
Botulism is rare and does not grow easily in the canned food. For botulism to develop, certain factors such as high pressure and high temperature need to be present. So, if you store your canned food in a cool and dry place there is no chance of botulism.
On the contrary, botulism occurs only when food is stored improperly. You will notice changes in the jar, it might appear leaked or bloated. Sometimes you might also find a layer of foam on the food. This usually takes about 2-3 months to form.
Home Canning Shelf Life!
You already know that canning is a massive food preservation technique along with freezing. And processing food items this way is a great idea to extend their shelf life. Wondering how long can you store a portion of food vastly depends on the food item.
On average, canning can increase the shelf life of fruits and vegetables by up to 18 months and meat and fish by up to 2-5 years. Pickles on the other hand can be perfectly stored for 1 year. So, the shelf life of canned goods depends on the type of food you are canning.
Do not worry, if you store the canned food in proper storage conditions that are away from sources of heat and light, it will not be affected by botulism. Remember, botulism occurs in high-pressure and high-temperature areas, so keep your food away from them, they will be safe.
