Guidance on Mitigating the Health Risk Associated with Clostridium botulinum in Plant and Mushroom Products Stored in Oil

From Health Canada

Overview

This document is intended to provide guidance to food safety regulators, manufacturers and importers with respect to the control of C. botulinum in plant and mushroom products stored in oil or infusing oils. This guidance document applies to any plant and mushroom product that has been covered in oil which can be found in a sealed package and is displayed for sale at the retail level. Plant products include fresh, brined, roasted, dehydrated and re-hydrated vegetable and fruit matter, herbs, and spices.

Food safety enforcement bodies at the federal, provincial and territorial level may use this guidance document as a reference to assess compliance with general requirements of food safety legislation or regulations, in particular, compliance with Sections 4 and 7 of the Food and Drugs Act.

Who this guide is for

• Food safety regulators
• Food manufacturers
• Importers

In this guide

1. Purpose and scope
2. Definitions
3. Roles and responsibilities
   
   • 3.1  Industry
   • 3.2  Government
   • 3.3  Consumers
4. Background
5. Microorganisms of concern
   
   • 5.1 Clostridium botulinum
   • 5.2  Yeasts and moulds
6. Guidance for the safe manufacture of plant and mushroom products stored in oil
   • 6.1 Control measures
   • 6.2  Assessing plant and mushroom products stored in oil
7. References

Appendix 1: Processing and storage parameters for the safe manufacturing of plant and mushroom products stored in oil

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Details and history

Published: [Month DD, YYYY] TBD
Consulted: [May 29 – July 28, 2017]

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