Food poisoning from Clostridium perfringens occurs primarily from food served in institutions.
The chance for contamination with this organism is great, as it is found
widely distributed in nature and has been recovered in all types of soil except those from the desert.
The spore form of this organism is highly heat resistant and may survive some cooking procedures.
Spores germinate to form a large number of vegetative cells. When contaminated food is ingested, the organism grows in the small intenstine and produces a toxin.
Clostridium perfringens Sources
The organism's requirement for many amino acids makes meat, meat products, gravies and casseroles good candidates for this type of food poisoning.
Conditions of little oxygen(such as occur inside a roast) favor its growth.
Illness is mot frequently associated with those items held for a long time before cooking or with precooked meat items either eaten cold or reheated. Holding food in the danger zone allows this microorganism to proliferate.
Preventive measures include the rapid refrigeration of roasts and other meat items so that the organism cannot grow.
Cured meats are rarely the vehicle for this type of infection, as several factors in the cured product prevent the survival of spores.
Food containing the enterotoxin may be different in odor, color, and texture, but differences that would be detected by taste panelists may be overlooked by consumers.
Symptoms of Clostridium perfringens food poisoning
Symptoms of Clostridium perfringens food poisoning usually occur 8-24 hours following the ingestion of the food and usually last 1 day.
Abdominal pain and diarrhea are common, but vomiting is rare. The illness is caused by ingestion of a large number of vegetative cells. When the vegetative cells reach the intestine, they form spores and release an enerotoxin that causes the symptoms.
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