10/08/2018 / By Zoey Sky
When it comes to food supplies, preppers know that it’s important to learn about proper food storage. If you can’t tell when canned food has gone bad, someone could get very sick. This can be fatal, especially if someone eats the contents of a spoiled can of food after SHTF and emergency services aren’t as accessible to the public.
You can prevent this by learning the signs of spoiled canned food, especially since there are various ways that harmful bacteria can contaminate canned food. (h/t to PreppersSurvive.com.)
While botulism spores are odorless and invisible to the naked eye, there are other contaminants that can be seen and smelled in canned food. Most signs that indicate spoilage in canned food is easy to recognize, as long as you know what you’re looking for.
In short, food in a can that smells strange, is bulging, is rusted, dented, explodes, leaks, has bubbles/strange colors, or makes strange sounds may be unsafe to eat. Do not taste food that you believe is contaminated, and dispose of the spoiled food properly to avoid health hazards.
Botulism, also referred to as botulism poisoning, is a rare but very severe illness that can be transmitted via food, contact with contaminated soil, or through an open wound. Without immediate medical attention, botulism may cause breathing difficulties, paralysis, and death.
There are three main types of botulism:
The symptoms of botulism may appear from six hours to 10 days after the initial infection. On average, the symptoms of infant and food-borne botulism can appear from anywhere between 12 to 36 hours after contaminated food is consumed.
The early signs of infant botulism include:
The signs of food-borne or wound botulism include:
Botulism poisoning is caused by the toxin produced by Clostridium botulinum, a type of bacteria. C. botulinum is very common, but it only exists in conditions where there is no oxygen. Some food sources, like home-canned foods, are a potential breeding ground for this kind of bacteria.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 145 cases of botulism are reported yearly in the U.S. At least three to five percent of individuals with botulism poisoning die.
Learn more about proper food storage, such as how to tell if canned food has gone bad, at FoodSupply.news.
Sources include:
Tagged Under: botulism, botulism poisoning, canned food, canning food, clostridium botulinum, Food Preservation, food safety, Food storage, food supply, off grid, preparedness, prepper, prepping, preserving food, self sufficiency, self-reliance, self-sustainability, survival, survival food, sustainable living, urban prepping