Can you cook botulism out of food?
By
Dr Miguel Fernandez-Nino PhD
| Reviewed by
Dr Anny Manrich (PhD)
The contents of this article are fact-based except otherwise stated within the article.
Author bio
Dr Miguel Fernández-Niño is a food scientist with expertise in food biochemistry, Food microbiology, synthetic biology, food waste valorisation, and industrial biotechnology. He writes and reviews content on these topics.
Dr. Fernández-Niño’s Highlights:
- Colombian scientist, with a Ph.D. in Biochemical Engineering from the Jacobs University Bremen (Germany).
- Alexander von Humboldt Postdoctoral Fellow at the Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry in Halle (Germany).
- Expertise in using multi-omics approaches (e.g., metabolomics, metagenomics, and metatranscriptomics) to re-engineer products and processes of relevance for the food industry.
- Expertise in designing microorganisms (microbial biofactories and starter cultures) to produce value-added products and food waste valorisation.
“My professional goal is to contribute to the education and research in Food Engineering and Food Biotechnology. The major incentive of my career is to contribute to the diffusion of scientific knowledge in society, thus promoting rational thinking and evidence-based decision-making”- Dr. Fernández-Niño’s, PhD.
Professional Experience:
Dr Fernández-Niño works as an Alexander von Humboldt Postdoctoral Fellow, at the Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry, in Halle (Germany). He leads a project that aims to improve fine-flavour cocoa bean fermentation for local farmers in Colombia through controlled fermentation systems.
Previously, Dr Fernández-Niño worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow on the bio-catalytic synthesis of isoferulic acid (BMBF project) in the same institution.
Dr Fernández-Niño also worked as a Postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Chemical and Food Engineering at Los Andes University in Colombia, working on the development of a platform to produce novel aroma precursor compounds and high value-added products from analysis of cocoa fermentation.
In addition, Dr. Fernández-Niño worked on the assembly of a platform for heterologous polyphenols production in E. coli from analysis of cacao fermentation pathways, in the same institution.
Dr. Fernández-Niño has been an occasional scientific adviser of Casa Luker S.A. (leader in the Colombian chocolate market), working on projects related to the post-harvesting of fine-flavour cocoa. He also worked as instructor and coordinator of the lab course General Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II Lab (Course No. CH02-520121) at Jacobs University Bremen (Germany) and as a Resident Associate in the same institution.
Finally, Dr Miguel Fernández-Niño has experience as Part-Time Assistant Professor, Occasional Professor, and Master Teaching Assistant.
Education:
- 2009 B.Sc. Biologist at Universidad Nacional de Colombia
- 2012 Master in Science – Biochemistry (Thesis “magna cum laude”) at Universidad Nacional de Colombia
- 2017 PhD in Biochemical Engineering at Jacobs University Bremen-Germany
The main publications of Dr Miguel Fernández-Niño are:
Fabio Herrera-Rocha, Miguel Fernández-Niño*, Mónica P. Cala, Jorge Duitama, Andrés Fernando González Barrios (2023) Omics approaches to understand cocoa processing and chocolate flavor development: A review. Food Research International. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2023.112555
Fernández-Niño Miguel* and Burgos-Toro Daniela (2022) Engineering microbial biofactories for a sustainable future. Chapter edited by Catalina Correa & Adriana Suarez-Gonzalez in the book: Genomics and the Global Bioeconomy -1st Edition-. ISBN 9780323916011. Publisher: ELSEVIER: https://www.elsevier.com/books/genomics-and-the-global-bioeconomy/patrinos/978-0-323-91601-1
Fabio Herrera-Rocha, Mónica P. Cala, Ana Maria León-Inga, Jenny Lorena Aguirre Mejía, Claudia M. Rodríguez-López, Sergio Leonardo Florez, María José Chica, Héctor Hugo Olarte, Jorge Duitama, Andrés Fernando González Barrios, Miguel Fernández-Niño* (2022) Lipidomic profiling of bioactive lipids during spontaneous fermentations of fine-flavor cocoa. Food Chemistry. Volume 397. 133845, ISSN 0308-8146. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2022.133845.
Díaz-Bustamante ML, Fernández-Niño M, Reyes LH and Alvarez Solano OA (2022) Multiscale Approach to Dairy Products Design. Front. Chem. Eng. 4:830314. doi: https://doi.org/10.3389/fceng.2022.830314.
Ramón E. Jaimez*, Luigy Barragan, Miguel Fernández-Niño*, Ludger A. Wessjohann, George Cedeño-Garcia, Ignacio Sotomayor, Francisco Arteaga, (2022): Theobroma cacao L. cultivar CCN 51: A comprehensive review on origin, genetics, sensory properties, production dynamics, and physiological aspects. PeerJ 10:e12676 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.12676.
Fabio Herrera‑Rocha, Mónica P. Cala, Jenny Lorena Aguirre Mejía, Claudia M. Rodríguez‑López, María José Chica, Héctor Hugo Olarte, Miguel Fernández‑Niño* & Andrés Fernando Gonzalez Barrios*. (2021): Dissecting fine‑flavor cocoa bean fermentation through metabolomics analysis to break down the current metabolic paradigm. Scientific Reports 11(21904) DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-01427-8.
Fernández-Niño, M., Rodríguez-Cubillos, MJ., Herrera-Rocha, F., Anzola, JM., Cepeda-Hernández, ML., Aguirre, L., Chica, MJ., Olarte, HH., Rodríguez, CM., Calderón, D., Ramírez-Rojas, A., Del Portillo, P., Restrepo, S., González Barrios, A.* (2021): Dissecting on-farm industrial fermentations of fine-flavour cocoa through metagenomic analysis. Scientific Reports 11(8638) DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-88048-3.
Buitrago Mora, HM., Arango Piñeros, M., Espinosa Moreno, D., Restrepo, S., Cardona Jaramillo, JEC., Álvarez Solano, OA., Fernandez-Niño, M., González Barrios, A.* (2019): Multiscale design of a dairy beverage model composed of Candida utilis single cell protein supplemented with oleic acid. Journal of Dairy Science. 102(11) 9749-9762 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2019-16729.
Fernández-Niño, M., Giraldo, D., Gomez-Porras, JL., Dreyer, I., González Barrios, A., Arevalo-Ferro, C.* (2017): A synthetic multi-cellular network of coupled self-sustained oscillators. PLOS ONE 12(6): e0180155 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0180155.
Fernández-Niño, M., Marquina, M. Swinnen, S.,Rodríguez-Porrata, B., Nevoigt, E.*, Ariño, J. (2015):The Cytosolic pH of Individual Saccharomyces cerevisiae Cells Is a Key Factor in Acetic Acid Tolerance. Appl Environ Microbiol 81(22): 7813-7821 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1128/AEM.02313-15.
Swinnen, S., Fernández-Niño, M., González-Ramos, D., van Maris, AJ., Nevoigt, E.* (2014): The fraction of cells that resume growth after acetic acid addition is a strain-dependent parameter of acetic acid tolerance in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. FEMS Yeast Res 14(4): 642-653 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1567-1364.12151.
Conference appearances and other speaking engagements
Selected courses delivered:
Course: Current technologies in the production of chocolates. (20 hours course). Invited as professor by the Department of Chemical and Food Engineering / Faculty of Engineering at Los Andes University-Colombia. July (2021).
Course: Design and assembly of microorganisms for the biomedical industry (20 horas course). Invited as professor by the School of Engineering and Science- Instituto Tecnologico de Monterrey (México). January 15-17 (2019)
Selected oral presentations and conferences:
Conference: Dissecting fine-flavour cocoa bean fermentation through multi-omics approaches. Speaker invited by the Organic Chemistry Department at The University of Buenos Aires -Argentina. Sep. 07 (2022).
Conference: Theobroma cacao L. cultivar CCN 51. Association of Producers of Fine Cocoa and Aroma (APROCAFA), Ecuador. March 15 (2022).
Conference: Biology of probiotics and prebiotics. Speaker invited by the Chemical and Food Engineer Department at Los Andes University-Colombia. June 27 (2020).
Conference: Pandemic food revolution. Speaker invited by the Chemical and Food Engineer Department at Los Andes University-Colombia. May 5 (2020).
Conference: Biochemistry and microbiology of cocoa fermentation. Speaker invited to the elective course: cocoa and Chocolate, organized by Casa Luker and the Department of Chemical Engineering at Los Andes University-Colombia. February 5 and 7 (2019)
Oral presentation: Lipidomic profiling of bioactive lipids during spontaneous fermentation of fine-flavour cocoa. Metabolomics 2022. Valencia, Spain. June 19-23 (2022).
Oral presentation: Exploration of Saccharomyces cerevisiae intra-species diversity for the identification of novel genetic determinants for acetic acid tolerance with the help of pooled-segregant RNA sequencing. ISSY33 International Specialized Symposium on Yeasts at University College Cork, Cork, Ireland, June 24-29. (2017)
You can view some of Dr Miguel’s work below and links to his professional profile.
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Miguel-Fernandez-Nino
https://www.linkedin.com/in/miguel-fern%C3%A1ndez-ni%C3%B1o-4a064b168/?locale=en_US
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=JBb1zuoAAAAJ&hl=en
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8231-7989
https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=56123747300
https://loop.frontiersin.org/people/1296449/overview
https://www.intechopen.com/profiles/158295
Reviewer bio
Dr Anny Manrich PhD is a food Engineer with expertise in Food Technology, Natural Polymers, Edible Films, Enzymes, and Nanotechnology. She writes and reviews content on these topics.
Dr Anny Manrich’s Highlights:
- Research and Technology at the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation
- PhD in Chemical Engineering with a focus on Biochemistry at the Federal University of Sao Carlos/ Brazil and a one-year scholarship at the Technical University of Munich/ Germany
- Bachelor of Food Engineering at the University of Campinas/ Brazil and a one-year scholarship at the Technical University of Munich/ Germany
“To solve a problem, global vision and multifactorial understanding are necessary. Therefore, in addition to expertise, one should seek multidisciplinary thinking connected with science and reality” – Dr Anny Manrich, PhD.
Professional Experience:
Dr Anny Manrich’s Experience Joining the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation, as soon as she completed her doctorate,
Dr Anny Manrich has worked on several projects, including the more than three-year partnership project with BRF, a major food producer in Brazil. As a postdoctoral fellow.
Dr Anny Manrich has also contributed to several business consultancies and research projects of the National Nanotechnology Laboratory System in areas such as food technology, fibres, films and coatings and Nanotechnology; in a very determined way, having a great team relationship, being creative and committed.
Growing concerns about the safe introduction of nanomaterials into today’s life emphasises the need to create regulatory documentation in front of characterising, using and testing them. Dr Anny Manrich worked for two years on a characterization project for nanoscale materials, with the aim of exploring their possible health effects.
Despite not having specific academic training in packaging or polymeric films, Dr Anny Manrich works at the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation in areas of edible and biodegradable films produced from agricultural waste and in the development of films with greater resistance to water, having articles published in renowned scientific journals, which demonstrates her multidisciplinary understanding and creativity.
In addition, she worked for four years as a consultant to a food company to develop a line of snacks that are healthy and that add functional ingredients, physiologically active compounds that bring health benefits, made from fruits and vegetables, enabling diet improvement, disease prevention and reduction of nutritional deficiencies.
Dr Anny Manrich participated as a member of the examination board for two Master’s exams and one PhD exam at the Department of Chemical Engineering of the Federal University of São Carlos.
Education:
- 2001 Bachelor in Food Engineering at the State University of Campinas, Brazil
- 1999 One year scholarship at the Technical University of Munich
- 2004 Master in Chemical Engineering at the Federal University of São Carlos, Brazil
- 2012 PhD in Chemical Engineering at the Federal University of São Carlos, Brazil
- 2010 One year scholarship at the Technical University of Munich
The main publications of Dr. Anny Manrich are:
Articles
Manrich, A., Moreira, F. K., Otoni, C. G., Lorevice, M. V., Martins, M. A., & Mattoso, L. H. (2017). Hydrophobic edible films made up of tomato cutin and pectin. Carbohydrate Polymers, 164, 83-91.
Mendes, J. F., Norcino, L. B., Martins, H. H. A., Manrich, A., Otoni, C. G., Carvalho, E. E. N., … & Mattoso, L. H. C. (2020). Correlating emulsion characteristics with the properties of active starch films loaded with lemongrass essential oil. Food Hydrocolloids, 100, 105428.
Norcino, L. B., Mendes, J. F., Natarelli, C. V. L., Manrich, A., Oliveira, J. E., & Mattoso, L. H. C. (2020). Pectin films loaded with copaiba oil nanoemulsions for potential use as bio-based active packaging. Food Hydrocolloids, 106, 105862.
Manrich, Anny, et al. Immobilization of trypsin on chitosan gels: Use of different activation protocols and comparison with other supports. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules 43.1 (2008): 54-61.
Manrich, Anny; Komesu, Andrea ; Adriano, Wellington Sabino; Tardioli, Paulo Waldir ; Giordano, Raquel Lima Camargo . Immobilization and Stabilization of Xylanase by Multipoint Covalent Attachment on Agarose and on Chitosan Supports. Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology, v. 161, p. 455-467, 2010.
Mendes, J. F., Martins, J. T., Manrich, A., Neto, A. S., Pinheiro, A. C. M., Mattoso, L. H. C., & Martins, M. A. (2019). Development and physical-chemical properties of pectin film reinforced with spent coffee grounds by continuous casting. Carbohydrate polymers, 210, 92-99..
Milessi, T. S., Kopp, W., Rojas, M. J., Manrich, A., Baptista-Neto, A., Tardioli, P. W., … & Giordano, R. L. (2016). Immobilization and stabilization of an endoxylanase from Bacillus subtilis (XynA) for xylooligosaccharides (XOs) production. Catalysis Today, 259, 130-139.
Mendes, J. F., Norcino, L. B., Manrich, A., Pinheiro, A. C. M., Oliveira, J. E., & Mattoso, L. H. C. (2020). Development, physical‐chemical properties, and photodegradation of pectin film reinforced with malt bagasse fibers by continuous casting. Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 137(39), 49178.
Mendes, J. F., Martins, J. T., Manrich, A., Luchesi, B. R., Dantas, A. P. S., Vanderlei, R. M., … & Martins, M. A. (2021). Thermo-physical and mechanical characteristics of composites based on high-density polyethylene (HDPE) e spent coffee grounds (SCG). Journal of Polymers and the Environment, 29, 2888-2900..
Mendes, J. F., Norcino, L. B., Martins, H. H., Manrich, A., Otoni, C. G., Carvalho, E. E. N., … & Mattoso, L. H. C. (2021). Development of quaternary nanocomposites made up of cassava starch, cocoa butter, lemongrass essential oil nanoemulsion, and brewery spent grain fibers. Journal of Food Science, 86(5), 1979-1996.
Manrich, A., Martins, M. A., & Mattoso, L. H. C. (2021). Manufacture and performance of peanut skin cellulose nanocrystals. Scientia Agricola, 79.
Nascimento, V. M., Manrich, A., Tardioli, P. W., de Campos Giordano, R., de Moraes Rocha, G. J., & Giordano, R. D. L. C. (2016). Alkaline pretreatment for practicable production of ethanol and xylooligosaccharides. Bioethanol, 2(1)..
Manrich, Anny, de Oliveira, J. E., Martins, M. A., & Mattoso, L. H. C. Physicochemical and Thermal Characterization of the Spirulina platensis. J. Agric. Sci. Technol. B, v. 10, p. 298-307, 2020.
Book Chapter
Terra, I. A. A., Aoki, P. H., Delezuk, J. A. D. M., Martins, M. A., Manrich, A., Silva, M. J., … & Miranda, P. B. (2022). Técnicas de Caracterização de Polímeros. Nanotecnologia Aplicada a Polímeros, 614.
Conference Papers
Ferreira, L. F., Luvizaro, L. B., Manrich, A., Martins, M. A., Júnior, M. G., & Dias, M. V. (2017). Comparação da estabilidade de suspensões poliméricas de amido/tocoferol e quitosana/tocoferol. In: CONGRESSO BRASILEIRO DE POLÍMEROS, 14., 2017, Águas de Lindóia, SP.
Manrich, A., Hubinger, S. Z., & Paris, E. C. (2017). Citotoxicidade causada por nanomateriais: avaliação do micronúcleo. In: WORKSHOP DA REDE DE NANOTECNOLOGIA APLICADA AO AGRONEGÓCIO, 9., 2017, São Carlos. Anais… São Carlos: Embrapa Instrumentação, 2017. p. 655-658.
Manrich, Anny, et al. Immobilization and Stabilization of Xylanase by multipoint covalent attachment on Glyoxyl Agarose Support. The 31st Symposium on Biotechnology for Fuels and Chemicals. 2009.
Manrich, Anny, et al. Application of immobilized xylanase on hydrolysis of soluble wood hemicelluloses after using microwave and organosolv pre-treatments. The 32nd Symposium on Biotechnology for Fuels and Chemicals. 2010.
You can view some of Dr Anny’s work below and links to her professional profile.
Research Gate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Anny-Manrich-2
Scopus: https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=23103497100
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=Ea9qpr0AAAAJ
Linkedin: https://br.linkedin.com/in/anny-manrich-20693129
In this brief guide, we are going to answer the question “Can you cook botulism out of food?”, discuss botulism, foods prone to botulism and preventive measures against botulism.
Can you cook botulism out of food?
No, you can not cook botulism out of food. You can kill botulism-causing bacteria (Clostridium botulinum) and the botulinum toxin by cooking. Heating the food at a temperature of 850C for 5 minutes will destroy the botulinum toxin and boiling kills bacteria.
But, you can not kill spores by cooking, as Clostridium botulinum is a spore producing bacteria. Spores will not be destroyed by just cooking, they are extremely heat resistant.
They can withstand a temperature of 1000C for 6 hours.
If spores remain in their inactive form after cooking they will not cause any problem but when suitable conditions are provided the bacteria will grow from spores and will produce toxins.
So, Cooking may kill bacteria and toxins but it does not ensure the safety of food.
The only way to kill spores is heating at 1210C under pressure. To make sure that spores are killed, commercially canned foods must undergo sterilization and home canned foods should use a pressure cooker.
What is botulism?
Botulism is a rare but dangerous illness caused by a toxin called “botulinum”. This toxin is produced by Clostridium botulinum (a bacteria). It attacks the nervous system and causes difficulty in breathing, muscle paralysis, and even death.
How does botulism occur?
It is not the bacteria that causes the illness but the toxin produced by it. This bacteria occurs in many places like soil, water but it is very rare for them to affect humans. Botulism occurs when the food containing botulinum toxin is ingested.
These bacteria make spores that help them survive extreme conditions. Under favorable conditions, the spores germinate and form bacteria which produces toxins that cause botulism.
Conditions favoring spores to grow and produce toxins:
· Low or no oxygen
· Low acid
· Low sugar
· Low salt
· Cooking temperatures that are too low.
Which foods are more prone to botulism?
Improperly processed foods especially home-canned foods or canned foods and low acidic foods with low or no oxygen are prone to botulism.
According to World Health Organization (WHO) botulism toxin has been found in the following foods:
· Preserved vegetables like spinach, mushroom, and green beans
· Fish – canned tuna fish, fermented salted, and smoked fish.
· Meat products- ham and sausages
· Ready to eat foods in low acid packaging
Other food sources which may cause botulism include honey, corn syrup, oils infused with herbs, and cheese sauce.
How to prevent botulism?
Though botulism is a dangerous illness, it can still be prevented by taking precautions. Following measures should be taken to prevent botulism-
· When home canning make sure to follow all hygienic practices(cleaning, washing, sterilizing)
· Use pressure canners for low acid foods(potatoes, vegetables, meat)
· Refrigerating any canned or cooked foods after opening them. (consume in 2-3 days)
· Home canned food should be boiled for at least 10 minutes before consumption.
· Maintaining pH below 4.6
WHO provides us with five keys to safer food-
1. Keep clean
2. Separate raw and cooked food
3. Cook thoroughly
4. Keep food at safe temperatures
5. Use safe water and raw materials.
Can you know if a food has botulism before consuming?
Yes, you can by observing the appearance and odor of the product We can look for certain signs which can indicate that the food may be contaminated:
· A leaking, bulged, cracked can
· a can with a loose lid
· food has a foul smell
· rising bubbles surrounding fruits and vegetables.
· Container spurs liquid when opened
· Food is discolored
What happens when you eat contaminated food?
Botulism symptoms usually occur after 18-36 hours of eating contaminated food. It causes muscle paralysis which causes the following symptoms:
· Difficulty in swallowing
· Muscle weakness
· Drooping eyelid
· Blurry vision
· Difficulty in breathing and moving eyes
· Slurred speech
· Vomiting
· Diarrhea
· Stomach pain
Summary
Cooking canned, low acidic foods does inactivate the botulinum toxin (at a temperature of 850c for 5 minutes) and kill botulism-causing bacteria (Clostridium botulinum) by boiling. However, it can not kill the spores produced by bacteria as spores can withstand 1000c for 6 hr.
Spores are highly heat resistant; they can be killed only by heating at 1210c under pressure, this is known as sterilization.
So, cooking alone can not ensure food safety. It may inactivate the botulinum toxin but is unable to kill spores.
These spores can grow into bacteria and produce toxins under favorable conditions (low or no oxygen, low acid, salt, and sugar).
Botulism is very rare but it is still a threat. It causes muscle paralysis and if immediate treatment is not provided may cause full-body paralysis.
In the end safety of any food depends on the hygiene with which we handle it and the application of good manufacturing practices.
Conclusion
In this brief guide, we answered the question “Can you cook botulism out of food?”,and also discussed botulism, foods prone to botulism and preventive measures against botulism.
If you have any questions or comments please let us know.
References –
1.https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/botulism
2. https://www.cdc.gov/botulism/symptoms.html
3. https://ucanr.edu/sites/MFPOC/Emergency/Botulism/
4.https://www.fda.gov/food/laboratory-methods-food/bam-chapter-17-clostridium-botulinum
