Clostridium botulinum and its control in low-acid canned foods

Clostridium botidinum spores are widely distributed in nature. Type A and proteolytic type B bacteria produce heat-resistant spores that are primarily involved in most of the food-borne botulism outbreaks associated with low-acid canned foods. Food-borne botulism results from the consumption of food in which C botulinum has grown and produced neurotoxin. Growth and toxin production of type A and proteolytic type B in canned foods can be prevented by the use of thermal sterilization alone or in combination with salt and nitrite. The hazardousness of C botulinum in low-acid canned foods can also be reduced by preventing post-process contamination and introducing hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) practices during production. Effectiveness of non-thermal technologies such