The pandemic spurred a surge in the canning industry and food preservation, as evidenced by a shortage of canned food on store shelves and at online retailers, possibly due to an abundant harvest from those who planted home gardens during the early curfew.
The Journal Advocate reports that at least some of the multiple cases of confirmed and suspected foodborne botulism that the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) has been investigating in the state since September have not been properly canned. This emerged from a communication from CDPHE on Wednesday. Tests by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed four of the cases, one is still under investigation and two test results are pending. All confirmed cases occurred along the Front Range and one of the unconfirmed cases occurred in the Western Slope.
Much of the cases appear to be unrelated as no common food has been identified. The last two confirmed cases were the result of improperly canned shared food produced in the same household and resulted in a warning from CDPHE regarding food safety at home.
“Botulism does not spread from person to person, so there is no risk to the public. However, these cases are a good reminder of the importance of properly preserving and managing food in the home, ”said Nicole Comstock, associate branch manager, Communicable Diseases Division.
This entry was posted in Email, Other Microorganisms and tagged Botulism, Colorado, Food Safety, Home Canned Food, Pandemic by Doug Powell. Bookmark the permalink.
About Doug Powell
Powell is a former food safety professor and editor of barfblog.com. He loves groceries, has five daughters, and is a good goalkeeper in pickup hockey. Download Doug’s résumé here.