Skip to Content

How fast does botulism grow in food?


Botulism is a rare but serious illness caused by a toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. This bacterium is found in soil and can contaminate foods that have not been properly processed to destroy it. The toxin causes muscle paralysis, which can lead to respiratory failure and death if not treated quickly. Foodborne botulism occurs when someone ingests pre-formed botulinum toxin in contaminated food. This article will examine how quickly C. botulinum can grow and produce toxin in different types of foods.

What is Botulism?

Botulism is caused by botulinum toxin, one of the most potent toxins known. This neurotoxin is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum and causes the disease botulism. There are three main kinds of botulism:

  • Foodborne botulism – Occurs when preformed toxin is ingested from contaminated food
  • Wound botulism – Caused by toxin produced from wound infected by C. botulinum
  • Infant botulism – Occurs when C. botulinum colonizes an infant’s intestines and releases toxin

All forms lead to descending, flaccid paralysis as the toxin blocks nerve function. Botulism toxicity comes from seven types of botulinum toxin designated A-G. Types A, B, E, and F cause most cases of botulism in humans. Foodborne botulism is caused by pre-formed toxin, not C. botulinum infection. Even ingesting a minuscule amount of botulinum toxin can be deadly.

C. botulinum Growth Requirements

Clostridium botulinum is a spore-forming anaerobic bacterium, meaning it grows in environments without oxygen. The spores are heat-resistant and widely present in the environment, especially soil and marine sediments. C. botulinum requires specific conditions to grow and produce toxin:

  • Low oxygen environment – C. botulinum only grows in absence of oxygen
  • Temperatures above 3°C and below 50°C – Minimum and maximum growth temperatures
  • Moisture – Environment must have a certain moisture content
  • Neutral pH – Grows optimally at pH between 4.6-7.0

The bacterium can produce botulinum toxin at temperatures between 3-48°C, with maximum toxin production occurring between 35-40°C. All types of C. botulinum can produce spores. Foodborne botulism occurs due to C. botulinum growth and toxin production in foods before consumption.

Factors that Allow Toxin Production

Several key factors can contribute to C. botulinum growth and toxin production in foods:

  • Canning – Toxin production is a risk if home canning is not done properly to kill spores and prevent growth
  • Protective packaging – Vacuum/oxygen-reduced packaging creates optimal anaerobic conditions for growth
  • Temperature – Storing foods above 3°C allows growth; maximum production between 35-40°C
  • pH – Low acidity (pH above 4.6) favors growth
  • Sodium chloride – Levels below 5% allow growth
  • Food substrate – Starchy, low-acid vegetables, meat, and seafood provide good growth conditions

Foods most commonly involved in botulism include home-canned foods, smoked fish, baked potatoes wrapped in foil, chopped garlic in oil, and meat products cured or fermented at home.

How Fast Can Botulinum Toxin Form in Food?

The amount of time needed for C. botulinum to grow and produce botulinum toxin depends on type of food, storage temperature, food acidity, sodium chloride levels, and other intrinsic factors. Some general toxin formation timeframes:

  • Canned foods – spore germination to toxin production can occur in under a week if home-canned at 50-60°C. In 3-4 days at higher temperatures around 37°C.
  • Garlic in oil – toxin can form in 3-5 days at room temperature
  • Baked potatoes in foil – toxin production in 4-7 days when stored above 10°C after cooking
  • Vacuum-packed fish – toxin present within 4-5 days if temperature abused above 3°C
  • Fermented meats/fish – 4-6 days to form toxin at optimal 35-40°C temperature range

So in some foods like improperly home-canned items, toxin formation can occur in less than a week when storage temperature is ideal. Foods high in moisture and low acidity stored in oxygen-reduced environments present highest risk.

Growth Time Based on Temperature

Temperature is one of the most important factors influencing C. botulinum growth rate and toxin production. Some examples:

  • 35-40°C – Minimum toxin production time, as fast as 2-3 days in optimal conditions
  • 30°C – Toxin observed in 3-4 days in inoculated food samples
  • 25°C – Toxin can form within 1 week
  • 15°C – Toxin production typically takes 2 weeks or longer
  • 10°C – Growth very slow but toxin can still form after 3-4 weeks
  • 5°C – No growth, but spores can persist over long time

Below is a table summarizing approximate C. botulinum growth rates at different temperatures in laboratory media:

Temperature Generation Time
35-40°C 2-3 hours
25°C 10-12 hours
15°C 20-24 hours
10°C 36-48 hours

This demonstrates that generation time decreases dramatically with increasing temperature. Growth is very slow at refrigeration temperature but toxin can still eventually form over weeks.

Kinetics of Toxin Production

Toxin formation kinetics also depend heavily on temperature. Studies measuring toxin production over time at different temperatures have found:

  • 35°C – Detectable toxin in 18 hours, maximum at 36 hours
  • 30°C – Detectable at 1 day, maximum at 2 days
  • 25°C – Detectable after 1.5 days, maximum at 3 days
  • 15°C – Detectable after 5 days, maximum at 15 days

Lower temperatures slow the toxin production rate. However, given enough time, C. botulinum can produce toxin even at refrigeration temperature above 3°C.

Toxin Formation in Specific Foods

Some examples of toxin production rates measured in different foods:

  • Canned mushrooms – Toxin detected in 3 days at 30°C
  • Vacuum-packed shrimp – Toxin in 4 days at 20°C, 6 days at 15°C, no toxin at 10°C
  • Smoked fish – Toxin in 3 days at 30°C, 6 days at 22°C, no toxin at 15°C
  • Garlic oil – Toxin formed within 5 days at room temperature

Again this illustrates the strong effect of temperature, with warmer temperatures leading to faster toxin production. Proper refrigeration can prevent growth in many foods.

Effect of Food Properties

In addition to temperature, the intrinsic properties of food impact growth rate and toxin formation. Important factors include:

Acidity

Low-acid foods have higher risk. Foods with pH above 4.6 allow growth. Acid foods like fruit juice prohibit growth.

Water activity

Water activity (aw) measures available moisture. C. botulinum typically requires aw above 0.93 for growth. Dried foods inhibit growth.

Sodium chloride

Levels greater than 5% sodium chloride inhibit growth in food. Salting/curing can prevent toxin production.

Redox potential

Growth only occurs at negative redox potentials since C. botulinum is anaerobic. Vacuum and modified atmosphere packaging provide optimal redox potential.

Microbial competition

Competitive spoilage organisms can potentially limit growth of C. botulinum in foods.

Preventing Foodborne Botulism

Since botulinum toxin is deadly at minute doses, preventing growth and production in food is critical. Recommended control measures include:

  • Proper home canning – Use pressure canner, check seal after cooling
  • Avoid storing baked/boiled foods in anaerobic packaging
  • Refrigerate oils infused with garlic, herbs below 3°C
  • Cure meats with nitrite to prevent germination and outgrowth
  • Acidify canned foods (pickle products) to pH below 4.6
  • Hold vacuum-packed, ready-to-eat foods below 3°C

Adhering to proper home food preservation, avoiding temperature abuse of potentially hazardous foods, and using preservatives like nitrite and acidity to prevent growth are key to preventing botulinum toxin formation in foods.

Conclusion

The potential growth rate of C. botulinum and toxin production depends heavily on temperature and food properties like acidity, salt content, and moisture levels. Toxin can form rapidly in 3-4 days at temperatures above 30°C in optimal conditions. Vacuum-packed, processed foods stored above 3°C present a high risk. Even at refrigeration temperatures, toxin can develop over 2-3 weeks. Preventing growth requires controlling intrinsic food factors and storage at proper refrigeration temperatures below 3°C. While foodborne botulism is rare, understanding the potential for growth and toxin production in different foods is important to manage this severe foodborne illness.