recall of artisanal preserves after a probable case of botulism

The Isère prefecture announced on Friday that it had ordered the recall of a few dozen artisanal cans of pork terrine after the report of suspected botulism in a person who had consumed it. The Auvergne Rhône-Alpes Regional Health Agency (ARS) received on Thursday the report of this case suspected of being affected by this serious neurological condition, indicates the prefecture in a press release.

The person who has “consumed a pork terrine produced on the farm, by EARL (Limited Responsibility Agricultural Operation, Editor’s note) Les Poplars” in Mottier (Isère), “was taken care of medically”she specifies. Analysis by the Pasteur Institute “remains of implicated pork terrine (…) confirmed the presence of botulinum toxin and the bacteria producing the toxin”depending on the prefecture. “Production conditions do not guarantee the sterilization of the jars”the authorities decided to withdraw and recall “a few dozen” of these preserves put on sale at the farm “At Barber’s”in Mottier, adds the prefecture.

The latter calls people who have consumed it “with the greatest vigilance, and to consult a doctor in the event of symptoms (vision problems, difficulty swallowing, dry mouth, difficulty speaking) by mentioning this alert”. She also invites those who have them not to consume them or open them and to throw them away. Botulism is a rare and serious neurological condition, fatal in 5 to 10% of cases, caused by a very powerful toxin produced by a bacteria which develops particularly in poorly preserved foods due to lack of sufficient sterilization.

It causes eye problems (blurred vision), difficulty swallowing and, in advanced forms, paralysis of the muscles, particularly respiratory muscles, which can lead to death. In France, botulism is rare: the average incidence has stabilized since 1980 at around 20-30 outbreaks per year, most often involving one to three patients each.