# Botulism! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 20, 2005, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/botulism/309119 "2005-06-20T21:14:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2005, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/botulism/309119/1 "2005-06-20T21:14:30Z")
Wow! I just saw my very first bulging can! It was a little can of tomato sauce that had been on my shelf for probably a month. I was putting my groceries away and trying to stack cans–when I noticed that that one just wouldn’t sit straight. It was _seriously_ misshapen. How exciting! What if I’d used the can right away, before it started to bulge? ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2005, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/botulism/309119/2 "2005-06-20T21:45:40Z")
Quick! Inject it into your forehead! (Don’t really!) –Cliffy! ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2005, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/botulism/309119/3 "2005-06-20T21:46:06Z")
You’d have a tummy ache… to say the least. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2005, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/botulism/309119/4 "2005-06-20T22:30:46Z")
Botulism! The hot new musical from Andrew Lloyd Webber Highlights include: “Don’t Worry About the Dents, Dear” “The Convulsion Rag” “How Can I Say I Love You When You’re Drooling Blood On The Floor?” “Mr. Yuck Doesn’t Live Here Anymore” “I Gave You My Heart And You Gave Me Food Poisoning” and the big finale “If It Smells Like Death, Leave It On The Shelf” ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2005, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/botulism/309119/5 "2005-06-20T23:05:14Z")
Seriously, I thought botulism wasn’t prevalent in foods containing high acid levels, such as tomato products. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2005, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/botulism/309119/6 "2005-06-20T23:25:50Z")
> [@Sattua](#): > > What if I’d used the can right away, before it started to bulge? Is this the same sort of feeling as when you’re at the top of a large building, looking down over the ledge and you think, “what if I jumped?”. …Or… is that just me? ---
**Author:** ![Ashes\_Ashes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/db5fbb/32.png) [@Ashes\_Ashes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashes_Ashes)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2005, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/botulism/309119/7 "2005-06-20T23:26:42Z")
Actually I thought tomato preserves were one of the easiest for botulism. My grandma taught me how to can and she horrified me with a story of a family back in her hometown who ate some bad tomatoes. Half the family died, the other half just wanted to. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2005, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/botulism/309119/8 "2005-06-21T00:34:24Z")
> [@danceswithcats](#): > > Seriously, I thought botulism wasn’t prevalent in foods containing high acid levels, such as tomato products. I had what I later figured to be a bad can of baked beans, in tomato sauce. I won’t get too vivid, but I will say my body did its best to rid itself of the offending substances, all night long. I don’t think I slept more than 2 hours in a row. Not something I’d recommend to anyone. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2005, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/botulism/309119/9 "2005-06-21T00:47:42Z")
> [@Sattua](#): > > Wow! I just saw my very first bulging can! It was a little can of tomato sauce that had been on my shelf for probably a month. I was putting my groceries away and trying to stack cans–when I noticed that that one just wouldn’t sit straight. It was _seriously_ misshapen. > > How exciting! > > What if I’d used the can right away, before it started to bulge? I started a thread about [botulism](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=240902) awhile back, if you’re interested. The botulism itself probably wouldn’t get you, but the toxins it’s already produced could do a serious number on you. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2005, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/botulism/309119/10 "2005-06-21T04:34:29Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > The botulism itself probably wouldn’t get you, but the toxins it’s already produced could do a serious number on you. _I_ thought that botulism just paralyzed you straight-out. You stop breathing and a few minutes later, basta. We had a jar of the stuff in the biology lab where I did student work. I never saw it used for anything. ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2005, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/botulism/309119/11 "2005-06-21T05:25:27Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Is this the same sort of feeling as when you’re at the top of a large building, looking down over the ledge and you think, “what if I jumped?”. > > …Or… is that just me? That and “Would it kill me, or just hurt really bad?” ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2005, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/botulism/309119/12 "2005-06-21T05:33:10Z")
It occurred to me–should I report this to someone? Is there an especial risk that other cans of tomato sauce might be infected to? I kept the can’s label just in case. I could call the County Extension Office tomorrow morning. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2005, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/botulism/309119/13 "2005-06-21T13:45:08Z")
I would call the manufactorer of the product and tell them the can is bulging and so forth. They will probably ask for the numbers on the can so they know hwen and where it was made. As for eating it before it bulged, you might have been fine, you might not have. It it was early enough, then you might have onlyi ngested the botulism spores, before they had enough time to make a good amount of toxin. Our stomachs can kill ths spores (not an infants, though. So don’t feed an infant honey, full of botulism spores.) But the toxin is bad, bad stuff. Small maounts will make you sick for a while, larger amounts can cause temporary paralysis and a trip to the hospital, and even larger amounts (or lack of treatment from a smaller amount) cause severe paralysis and will kill you. Nasty, nasty stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Wonko\_The\_Sane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/258eb7/32.png) [@Wonko\_The\_Sane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wonko_The_Sane)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2005, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/botulism/309119/14 "2005-06-21T22:28:37Z")
I would imagine that things other than botulism could be in there… Oh, and BTW- Congratulations Sattua- you’re a full-fledged Botulist now! ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2005, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/botulism/309119/15 "2005-06-22T02:53:02Z")
I have a can of stewed tomatoes decorated and autographed by John Astin (He played Dr Gangrene in two of the Killer Tomatoes movies, as well as the cartoon series). How big a bulge are we talking about? Will the pressure ever be enough to burst through the can? I’m not planning on ever eating the stuff, I just want to keep the can in the best possible condition because I am anal retentive about these things. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2005, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/botulism/309119/16 "2005-06-22T03:47:37Z")
This is why I refuse to eat that soup that comes in bulging cans. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2005, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/botulism/309119/17 "2005-06-22T04:00:43Z")
The can was bulging so bad on the top and bottom that it basically couldn’t sit up. It was about to burst. There was no mistake–something was seriously wrong. I called up Hunt’s today, and they are sending me a coupon for a Hunt’s product of my choice. Neat. ---
**Author:** ![Kingspades](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecae2f/32.png) [@Kingspades](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kingspades)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2005, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/botulism/309119/18 "2005-06-24T00:17:18Z")
I thought Sattua was just quoting [an old Game Show Network ad](http://www.visit4info.com/details.cfm?adid=6856&type=coolad&startrow=1) .