Botulism from *uncooked* potatoes wrapped in foil?
Recently I've seen uncooked, prewrapped-in-foil potatoes at the store, meant for baking. But I've always read that keeping potatoes wrapped tightly in foil at room temperature is one of the ways that botulism can occur. Is this a safe product? Is it only after cooking that botulism can grow?
Best Answer
From what I understand about this, it's not so much about the raw potatoes being foil wrapped as it is about the baking and storing afterward.
From EnCognitive.com:
Though rare, most foodborne botulism in the U.S. is from improper home canning. But according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, potatoes baked in aluminum foil and left at room temperature can also cause botulism. Here's why.
As a common soil-dwelling organism, C. botulinum can easily contaminate potatoes or any other crop that comes in direct contact with soil. Thorough cooking usually kills the organism's spores, the source of the deadly toxin. But a foil-wrapped potato holds in moisture, sometimes preventing its surface from reaching a high enough temperature to kill spores. Paradoxically, the heat kills off competing bacteria, making it easier for C. botulinum to grow. Moreover, at room temperature, foil-wrapped potatoes provide the oxygen-free environment needed for toxins to form.
Advice? If you bake potatoes in foil, do not leave them out for any significant period of time, even unwrapped. As with any food, eat it soon after cooking or refrigerate it promptly. The Journal of Infectious Diseases, July 1998.
Many others sources also recommend that, after baking, potatoes should be immediately removed from the foil and not allowed to remain in the danger zone. Translate that to unwrap and serve or refrigerate right away.
One downside I can think of to the pre-wrapped potatoes would be if they are not kept at proper storage temperatures, moisture/condensate could accumulate inside the foil. And you can't see inside the foil to determine the overall appearance and quality of the potato.
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Quick Answer about "Botulism from *uncooked* potatoes wrapped in foil?"
Many types of bacteria are heat-sensitive; however, botulism spores actually grow better if "shocked;" they are heat-stable. The combination of anaerobic conditions and the holding of the foil-wrapped potato for 48 hours at room temperature acerbated botulism growth.How does botulism from foil wrapped baked potatoes?
Clostridium botulinum spores can survive the baking process and the foil wrap seals the potato preventing oxygen from being present. In this environment, and at the right temperature, spores on the potato can germinate and grow - producing their deadly toxin.Can botulism grow on raw potatoes?
Botulism is caused by a paralyzing toxin produced by Clostridium botulinum bacteria. C. botulinum spores are present in soil and can be found on raw produce, especially potatoes and other root vegetables (1).Why potatoes should not be wrapped in foil?
Do not wrap potatoes in aluminum foil for baking. Foil holds in moisture and steams the potatoes, resulting in a "boiled" taste and texture. Turn the potatoes over halfway through the baking time to prevent browning of the undersides where they touch the baking tray or oven rack.How common is botulism from baked potatoes?
Cases of botulism from foil-wrapped baked potatoes are rare, but they do occur. One example occurred in El Paso, TX, in 1994, the largest botulism outbreak since 1978. In that outbreak, 30 people were sickened, and four of them had to be put on mechanical ventilators. The culprit was a baked-potato-based dip.How to Make a Foil-Wrapped Baked Potato
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Answer 2
One of the nicer things about botulism (there are not many) is that heat does neutralize the toxin. So unless you are licking the raw potatoes, not likely to be a problem.
The odds of the foil-wrapping being actually airtight are also about zero, so it's unlikely that you'd actually get botulism, as that requires an anaerobic environment.
Now, why you'd buy foil-wrapped potatoes in the first place is beyond me, but I'm not seeing a safety issue here.
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