An Outbreak of Botulism Caused by Home‐canned Tomatoes

Clostridium botulinum

“…This increase in pH under the mycelial mat may have contributed to a botulism outbreak involving tomato juice, and highlights the importance of controlling growth of other microbes in foods [58]. While acid and acidified foods are considered to be inhibitory to C. botulinum, mold growth on the surface of the food can cause a localized increase in pH, which in turn can promote the growth of C. botulinum.…”

Growth and toxin production by Clostridium botulinum in moldy tomato juice

“…There have been, however, a number of reported outbreaks from foods generally considered too acid to support germination, growth, or toxin production by spores of Clostridium botulinum. Stone (11) described an outbreak of botulism presumably caused by eating a ripe persimmon; Meyer and Gunnison (6) confirmed pears as the source of fatal botulism in two people; and Slocum et al (10) indicated that tomatoes were the source of toxin fatal to two persons. The pH ofthe tomato juice was 4.21.…”

Modelling the growth of Clostridium sporogenes in tomato juice contaminated with mould

“…However, high-acid foods (pH < 4.6) have also been reported to be a source of botulinum food poisoning (Odlaug and Pflug 1978). Some of these cases have been caused by mould-contaminated tinned tomatoes (Slocum et al 1941). Huhtanen et al (1976) investigated the growth of a mould in tomato juice to see if it would affect outgrowth and subsequent toxin production by Clostridium botulinum spores.…”