[CH] botulism in oils

Uncle Steve's HOT Stuff (hot_chiles@hotmail.com)
Thu, 01 Jul 1999 10:27:32 EDT 

Last year sometime I posted a recipe for a hot Chile oil using garlic that 
caused much the same discussions. I no longer publish the recipe for several 
reasons. But your chances of getting the bug is extremely small.

Restaurant foods such as sautéed onions, chopped bottled garlic, potato 
salad made from baked potatoes and baked potatoes themselves have been 
responsible for a number of botulism outbreaks... The incidence of the 
disease is low, but the disease is of considerable concern because of its 
high mortality rate if not treated immediately and properly.  Most of the 10 
to 30 outbreaks that are reported annually in the United States are 
associated with inadequately processed, home-canned foods, but occasionally 
commercially produced foods have been involved in outbreaks.

In contrast it is estimated that from 2 to 4 million cases of salmonellosis 
occur in the U.S. annually from raw meats, poultry, eggs, milk and dairy 
products, fish, shrimp, frog legs, yeast, coconut,  sauces and salad 
dressing, cake mixes, cream-filled desserts and toppings, dried gelatin,  
peanut butter, cocoa, and chocolate. The incidence of salmonellosis appears 
to be rising both in the U.S. and in other industrialized nations. S. 
enteritidis isolations from humans have shown a dramatic rise in the past 
decade, particularly in the northeast United States (6-fold or more), and 
the increase in human infections is spreading south and west, with sporadic 
outbreaks in other regions.

I can not give the statistics but, your chances of getting botulism is most 
likely less than being struck by lightening. Salmonella is not as deadly but 
causes more death annually do to the number of cases.

The point, safe handling and processing of food is important, and we all 
have to go (die) sometime. Are you ready to meet your creator?

Steve

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