Barbara Rohrs
Clostridium perfringens is one of the bacteria that make people sick. Clostridium perfringens bacteria are found in soils, the intestines of humans and animals, and sewage. Any raw food may contain spores or the bacteria. The bacterium, Clostridium perfringens, grows anaerobically. That means it will only grow where there is little or no oxygen. At temperatures between 70 and 120 degrees F, little or no air, and high moisture, the spores can produce the toxin.
Intense abdominal pain and diarrhea begin 8 to 22 hours after eating foods that contain these bacteria. The illness is usually over within 24 hours but less severe symptoms may last longer for some people - especially very young or older people. Dehydration can occur with this type of foodborne illness. Many times, people confuse this foodborne illness with the "24-Hour Flu."
Clostridium perfringens is one of the most commonly reported foodborne illnesses. Sometimes it is called the "food service germ" because food served in quantity and left for long periods on a steam table or at room temperature can cause this illness. Many times dozens of people become sick from a common source, especially where large quantities of food are prepared several hours before serving.
In most instances, poor temperature control is the cause of this foodborne illness. Small numbers of the organism may still be present after cooking. When food is kept between the temperatures of 70 and 140 degrees F, and air and moisture levels are right, these organisms will produce the toxin that will make people sick. Meats, meat products, and gravy are the foods most frequently causing the illness.
Thoroughly cook foods with meat-like stews, soups and casseroles. Keep hot foods hot (above 140 degrees F) and cold foods cold (below 40 degrees F). If you have a large portion of food leftover, divide it into smaller portions not over three inches deep to refrigerate so it cools quickly. Reheat foods to at least that 165 degrees F.
1. National Center for Disease Control, Center for Disease Control and Prevention
2. U.S. FDA, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Foodborne Pathogenic Microorganisms and Natural Toxins Handbook, The Bad Bug Book.
3. U.S. FDA Center For Food Safety & Applied Nutrition, MMWR 43 (8): 1994 Mar 04
For more information on food borne illness, contact your local county Extension Agent. See also the additional fact sheets in this series.
On March 18, 1993, The Cleveland City Health Department (CCHD) received telephone calls from 15 people who became ill after eating corned beef from a delicatessen. After a local newspaper article published the problem, 156 people contacted CCHD to report the onset of illness within 48 hours of eating at the deli on March 16 and 17. In anticipation of a large demand for corned beef on St. Patrick's Day, the deli had purchased 1400 pounds of raw, salt-cured corned beef. Beginning March 12, portions of the corned beef were boiled for three hours at the deli, allowed to cool at room temperature, and refrigerated. On March 16 and 17, the portions were removed from the refrigerator, held in a warmer at 120 degrees F and sliced and served. Corned beef sandwiches were made for catering to several groups on March 17. These sandwiches were held at room temperature from 11 AM until they were eaten throughout the afternoon. Following the outbreak, CCHD recommended to the deli that the meat not served immediately after cooking be divided into small pieces, placed in shallow pans, and chilled rapidly on ice before refrigerating. They also recommended that cooked meat be reheated immediately before serving to an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees F.
Source: U.S. FDA Center for Food Safety & Applied Nutrition, MMWR 43 (8): 1994 Mar 04
This material is based on work supported by the Extension Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under special project number 96-EFSF-0-3500.
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