Botulism update

On 13th November 2011, the Food Standards agency (FSA) issued a statement in its news centre stating that Premier Foods is recalling one date code of Loyd Grossman’s Korma sauce due to contamination with Clostridium botulinum, a bacterium that can cause botulism food poisoning. The affected batch code is 1218R and the ‘best before’ date is February 2013. If you have bought this product do not eat it. The Agency has issued a product Recall Information Notice.

By coincidence on the 11th November 2011, Health Protection Scotland issued a statement urging people to be aware of the symptoms of botulism. This followed the news that 2 members of the same family who are suspected of having the illness have been hospitalised.

What is botulism?
Botulism is a thankfully very rare but potentially life threatening bacterial illness, between 2000 and 2006 there were only 4 laboratory reported cases in the UK. The bacteria Clostridium botulinum normally lives in a dormant form in soil and dust but can sometimes be found in food products.
The bacteria produces a powerful neurotoxin or nerve toxin.

• The symptoms often begin with blurred vision.
• There may be difficulty in swallowing and speaking.
• There is sometimes diarrhoea and vomiting.
• There is descending weakness or paralysis and can lead to respiratory failure if left untreated.

Treatment can be given in the form of an antitoxin and intensive care and recovery can take long periods.

There was another incident in October, when a batch of olives produced in Italy was withdrawn from sale in the UK after two people in Helsinki, Finland, were diagnosed with botulism.

Both people reported having eaten Gaudiano Organic Olives Stuffed with Almonds. Lab tests confirmed that the jar from which they had eaten the olives contained botulinum toxin. The tainted olives were in 314ml glass jars with a 'best before' date of 09/2012. Investigation shows that only 40 jars were imported into the UK in Sept 2010, which have been withdrawn from sale. No cases of botulism have been reported in the UK linked to this product

Thankfully foods produced in the UK and imported foods are subject to stringent food safety checks and the likelihood of coming into contact with the bacteria are extremely rare.

Infant botulism
During several food hygiene courses run by In House, the question has been raised by candidates as to why babies should not be given honey. It was something they were vaguely aware of but needed more reassurance.

In fact the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has also in the recent past reminded parents not to feed honey to babies who are under a year old. This followed a confirmed case (back in 2010) of the rare but again serious illness infant botulism. Again a very rare occurrence, there have only been 11 confirmed cases in the past 30 years, but 3 of these occurred in 2010 and all had possible links to honey. The most recent case involved a 15 week old baby.

Botulinum bacteria can occasionally get into honey and can produce the toxin if it grows inside the baby’s intestine, leading to the illness. Honey is safe for children over the age of one, but a younger baby’s gut is not sufficiently developed to be able to fight the bacteria. This is why parents are advised not to give honey until they are one year old.

Sam Montel, Nutritionist at the Food standards Agency, said ‘For around the first 6 months, babies only need breast milk or infant formula and although it might be tempting to give honey for easing coughs, infant botulism is a very serious illness and it simply isn’t worth the risk.’

Dr Kathie Grant, botulinum expert at the Health Protection Agency (HPA) said:’ Although infant botulism is incredibly rare, it’s a serious illness that causes muscle weakness and breathing problems, and most babies require hospital treatment. While recovery may be slow, thankfully almost all babies recover fully. Not all babies who are given honey will develop infant botulism, but because of the link to the infection, babies under one year of age should not be given honey under any circumstances, even on their dummies or mixed with their milk.’

Members of the Honey Association have a voluntary code of conduct stating on product labels that honey should not be given to infants under 12 months. The Food Standards Agency supports this responsible initiative.

Signs and symptoms of infant botulism
Although very similar to many common childhood ailments, early signs of infant botulism infection may include.
• lethargy
• listlessness
• poor feeding
• decrease in bowel movements
• generalised weakness over several days

As with any children’s illnesses, if you are at all concerned, contact your GP, NHS Direct or your local hospital.