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No More Baked Potatoes In Foil – Botulism Risk

Potatoes in foil could easily become a botulism risk; 

In 2018, Health Canada issued a health advisory about potatoes after an Ontario man contracted botulism from a baked potato. Mark Barley was almost totally paralyzed and temporarily lost his vision after taking several bites out of a potato at a Meaford, Ont., restaurant.
 
Because of this case, and several others, it is no longer considered a safe practice to bake potatoes in aluminum foil, because of the risk of botulism once the potatoes have been baked.  
 
Instead you can rub them in olive oil and pierce them with a fork, then bake them in their own skins. 

Not using aluminium can help you prevent botulism from baked potatoes 

If you still want to wrap them in aluminum for baking, reserve this practice for personal use at home. Be sure to remove the foil from the potato directly after baking, this will help to prevent botulinum bacteria from growing inside the moist, oxygen free environment the aluminum provides. 

 
Image result for baked potato
 
Once you have finished baking the potatoes, serve them immediately, or cool and store leftovers in the refrigerator. Don’t store a baked potato in the foil at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Botulism is anaerobic and prefers to be stored in oxygen free environments. Use them up with a few days, or freeze them if you need to store them for longer periods. 

Image result for botulism potatoes

HOW TO PREVENT PATHOGENS? 

Remember pathogens need certain conditions in order to grow and multiply to harmful levels.
 
FATTOM helps you remember these conditions; Food, Acidity, Time, Temperature, Oxygen and Moisture.
 
 

Learn all about FATTOM and other food safety practice at our Food Safety Training.