The incidence of botulism in canned food in the last century is reviewed along with the background science; a few conclusions are reached based on analysis of published data. There are two primary aspects to botulism control: the design of an adequate process and the delivery of the adequate process to containers of food. The probability that the designed process will not be adequate to control Clostridium botulinum is very small, probably less than 1.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis is the report of a project carried out to determine the microbial-kill characteristics of saturated steam plus hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) using a specially-constructed test apparatus. Spores on stainless-steel planchets were inserted into a flowing gaseous atmosphere of steam plus H2O2 for a timed exposure to the lethal agent. The specially-designed test apparatus and its operating parameters are described.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFErrors that occur in physical systems used to evaluate the heat resistance of microorganisms are discussed: namely, (a) not knowing the test heating-medium temperature accurately, (b) using heating times that are so short that the maximum temperature reached in the test unit is significantly below the test heating-medium temperature, and (c) ignoring significant heat-transfer lags, first in the heating and later in the cooling of the test units. Procedures and methods that can be used to minimize the effect of potential test-system errors on microbial resistance data are reported. Examples are included regarding the treatment of the different types of errors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThermocouples (TCs) are used almost exclusively in designing and validating the heat processes needed for sterilization of product in retorts or autoclaves. In this paper we discuss the vexing errors associated with using TCs in a hot, wet environment. Most problems seem to be associated with the action of steam and water on the TC lead wires and/or caused by temperature gradients on lead wire connectors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA model was developed for adjusting the minimum public health sterilization F-value of foods with pH values from 4.6 to 6.0 based on the Clostridium botulinum spore heat resistance data of Xezones and Hutchings (6).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOutbreaks of botulism involving acid foods are rare. Of the 722 total botulism outbreaks reported from 1899 to 1975, only 34 (4.7%) involved acid foods.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe heat resistance of ten Clostridium botulinum type B spore crops was determined in mushroom puree and 0.067M Sorenson phosphate buffer (pH 7). The spore crops were grown from Clostridium botulinum isolates obtained from commercially canned mushrooms.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Food Prot
September 1977
Heat destruction characteristics of the normal microflora on potatoes and of Bacillus subtillis var. niger spores deposited on potatoes were determined during heating in an air oven at 175 C. These results were compared to the heat destruction characteristics of B.
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