Risk of Clostridium botulinum Type E Toxin Production in Blue Crab Meat Packaged in Four Commercial-Type Containers

Abstract

The aim of this investigation was to determine if a risk of Clostridium botulinum growth and toxin production existed in four different packaged crabmeat products. Freshly picked blue crab meat was inoculated with 10(3) to 10(4) spores per g of a mixed pool of four strains of C. botulinum type E (Beluga, Minnesota, G21-5, and 070). The lump crabmeat was packaged in four different packaging containers: (i) 12-oz copolymer polyethylene cups currently used by most crab processors; (ii) 12-oz copolymer polyethylene cups with heat-shrink, tamper-evident low-density polypropylene seals; (iii) 8-oz copolymer polyethylene cups with easy-open aluminum ends: and (iv) 8-oz copolymer polypropylene cups with integral tamper-evident pull-tabs. The packages were stored at either 4 degrees C for 21 days or 10 degrees C for 15 days. Storage at 10 degrees C was used to simulate temperature abuse. The mouse bioassay was used to detect the presence of C. botulinum toxin. Psychotrophic and anaerobic populations were enumerated and were found to increase with time regardless of packaging type. No botulinum toxin was detected in any of the four packaging types stored at 4 degrees C or 10 degrees C throughout the entire storage period.

Slaughter, storage, transport, and packaging of crustaceans

“…Spoilage occurred before toxin production was predicted. Harrison et al (1996) inoculated 10 3 ±10 4 spores per gram of a mixed pool of four strains of Clostridium botulinum type E in four different packages of fresh blue crab meat: 340 g (12 oz) copolymer polyethylene cups currently used by most crab processors; 340 g (12 oz) copolymer polyethylene cups with heat-shrink, tamperevident low-density polypropylene seals; 226 g (8 oz) copolymer polypropylene cups with easy-open aluminum ends; and 226 g (8 oz) copolymer polypropylene cups with integral tamper-evident pull tabs. The packages were stored at either 4 ëC for 21 days or 10 ëC for 15 days, the latter being a simulation of abuse temperature.…”

HACCP Implementation and Research Issues

“…However, when inoculated without pasteurization, toxin production occurred 27 days after spoilage (storage at 10_C). An East Coast research team (Harrison et al, 1996) studied vacuum packaged blue crab in several different types of containers. They found CO 2 build-up and spoilage rate to be the same regardless of can type.…”

Risk assessment of proteolytic Clostridium botulinum in canned foie gras

“…Likewise, although mild heat treated (F 0 value between 0.5 min to 1 min for 80% of the manufacturers, the process of this traditional product has not changed for the last 15 years), canned foie gras product has a proven safety record: no case of botulism concern was reported in the past ten years in France, a country where 90% of the French production of foie gras is sold (source: French Institute for Public Health Surveillance (INVS, (QMRA) model to assess the potential risk associated with proteolytic C. botulinum in canned foie gras. There are only few QMRA models for C. botulinum and most of the studies have been focused on nonproteolytic C. botulinum (Harrison et al, 1996;Peck et al, 2008;Smelt et al, 2013). Barker et al (2002) built an exposure assessment using a Bayesian Belief network.…”