Experts state that making preserves at home is not safe and warn that if production is not carried out according to proper techniques, poisonings that can cause paralysis and even death may occur.
Food Engineer Selen Akbulut, emphasizing that every step is important, from the quality and cleanliness of the food and equipment used to the filling method and storage conditions, said, “Canned goods can be considered in the category of the riskiest products in terms of food microbiology.” Lecturer Selen Akbulut, pointing out that it is essential to dispose of bulging and vacuum-damaged canned goods without even tasting them, warned, “If foaming or overflow is observed when you open the jar, or if there is a significant change in taste and smell, it must be disposed of without being consumed. Furthermore, seasonal vegetables such as green beans and okra have high pH values, so the risk of poisoning when preserved as canned goods is much, much higher than with tomato sauces.”
Lecturer Selen Akbulut from Üsküdar University Vocational School of Health Services, Food Technologies Program, made statements about the safety of preserves made in almost every home today.
Pay attention to these when preparing preserves!
Food Engineer Selen Akbulut stated that making preserves at home is not very safe due to food safety requirements and warned, “If production is not carried out according to proper techniques, it is possible to create a very risky product that can cause paralysis and even death.”
Food Engineer Selen Akbulut, pointing out that there are points to be careful about when preparing preserves, explained these issues as follows:
“It is very important to use good quality, unspoiled raw materials. Effective washing is required to sort/classify and remove contaminants. All tools and equipment used should be washed with hot water. New lids should be used for all preserves. Since a used lid cannot provide a vacuum again, a risky product will be created. The insides of the jars should also be sterilized with boiling water.
The prepared canning material should be filled into the jar with hot filling and sealed tightly. It is important to consume the preserve after opening. Therefore, single-serving jars can be preferred instead of large ones. Preserves should be stored in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.”
Canning poisoning can result in paralysis and even death
Food Engineer Selen Akbulut, underlining that canned goods can be evaluated in the category of the riskiest products in terms of food microbiology, explained how preserves and similar products lead to poisonings:
“The microorganism that poses a risk in canned goods is a pathogen known as ‘Clostridium botulinum,’ which is strictly anaerobic (develops only in oxygen-free environments) and causes intoxication (poisoning through toxin production). This microorganism synthesizes its neurotoxin when suitable environmental conditions are provided. Symptoms appear between 18-36 hours after consuming the contaminated food.
Early symptoms of poisoning include significant malaise, weakness, and dizziness. Blurred and double vision, dry mouth, difficulty speaking and swallowing, decreased heart rate, low blood pressure, difficulty breathing, nausea, vomiting, and constipation are among the general symptoms. Even very low grams of this toxin can result in paralysis and death in individuals.”
Some vegetables may not be suitable for canning
Food Engineer Selen Akbulut, pointing out that the lid should be closed with hot filling using the 3-forward, 1-back technique when canning, said, “This technique will ensure full sealing and the desired vacuum. Furthermore, it is absolutely essential to dispose of bulging and vacuum-damaged canned goods without even tasting them, for food safety and consumer health.”
Food Engineer Selen Akbulut, also stating that the integrity of the threads on the mouth of canning jars should be checked, concluded her words as follows:
“If damage is observed in the threads, those jars should absolutely not be used. We must definitely apply a filling limit. We should not fill the jars to the brim. There should be at least a 1-finger gap between the product and the lid. Especially, using new lids and new jars is the most critical point to pay attention to in canning production. There should be no dents in the lid, and the lid should fit perfectly on the jar. In canning, a pH value of 4.5 is critical. Therefore, adding approximately 1 teaspoon of lemon juice to a medium-sized jar of tomato sauces, which are the most commonly canned products in our country, will help achieve the desired acidity.
If the lids of the preserves are bulging, if foaming or overflow is observed when you open the jar, or if there is a significant change in taste and smell, they must absolutely be disposed of without being consumed. Apart from this, I do not find it appropriate to make preserves from seasonal vegetables such as green beans and okra, which I have recently encountered on social media. Since these vegetables have high pH values, the risk of poisoning when stored as preserves is much, much higher compared to tomato sauces. Storing these vegetables in a deep freezer rather than as preserves is a more suitable method for food safety.
If all these points are meticulously observed, a shelf life of 2 years at room temperature will be ensured.”
