As autumn days continue, the rush of preparing homemade canned goods is ongoing. Experts, emphasizing the importance of sterilization, advise thoroughly washing the vegetables and fruits to be canned and using unspoiled raw materials. Food Engineer Selen Akbulut, pointing out that home canning is not very safe in terms of food safety, states that canning without following appropriate procedural steps can cause paralysis or even death. Akbulut reminds that lids should be new and jars should be single-serving…
Lecturer Selen Akbulut from Üsküdar Üniversitesi Vocational School of Health Services, Food Technologies Program, stated that canned goods have become a product produced in almost every home today.
Food Engineer Akbulut, stating that home canning is not very safe in terms of food safety, warned, “Canned goods can be a very risky product that can cause paralysis and even death if proper procedural steps are not followed.”
Akbulut listed the main points to be observed when preparing canned goods as follows:
- It is very important to use a good quality, unspoiled raw material.
- It is essential to carry out effective washing for necessary sorting/classification and to remove contaminants.
- All tools and equipment used must be washed with hot water.
Lids must be new, jars single-serving!
- It is essential to use new lids for all canned goods. As a used lid cannot provide a vacuum again, we would create a risky product.
- The inside of the jars must 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 canned goods after opening. For this reason, single-serving jars can be preferred instead of large ones.
- Canned goods should be stored in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.”
Canned goods in the riskiest product category
Akbulut, emphasizing that canned goods can be considered in the riskiest product category in terms of food microbiology, noted:
“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. This microorganism synthesizes its neurotoxin when suitable environmental conditions are provided. It appears 18-36 hours after the consumption of contaminated food.”
Can result in paralysis and death
Akbulut, also touching upon the symptoms of poisoning, said, “Early symptoms include significant fatigue, weakness, and dizziness. Blurred vision 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. Even tasting canned goods we suspect might be tainted can cause paralysis.”
Lid must be sealed with the 3 forward, 1 back technique
Akbulut, stating that fresh vegetables and fruits should be used for healthy canning, said, “It is essential to use a new lid for each canning jar. A very good quality heat treatment (boiling) must be applied to the material we will can. With hot filling, we must close the lid according to the 3 forward, 1 back technique. Furthermore, it is crucial for food safety and consumer health that canned goods showing 'bombage' (swelling formed at the bottom or top of canning jars due to gas-producing microorganisms) and those with compromised vacuum are destroyed without even tasting them.”
Selen Akbulut concluded her words by reminding that canning can be done with all fruits and vegetables when the necessary conditions are met, stating, “However, because not losing its quality during heat treatment and taste-texture harmony are important parameters in canning production, delicious canned goods can be obtained by paying attention to this harmony.”