Where does this come from, and can I check it?

Sealed low acid preserves can support Clostridium botulinum growth. The figure is taken from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.

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Yes. It sits on the Food shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.

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Botulism bacteria thrive without oxygen

Sealed low acid preserves can support Clostridium botulinum growth Clostridium botulinum grows only where oxygen is absent, which is exactly the environment inside a sealed jar or can. Its spores are common in soil and survive boiling, so low acid vegetables and meats need pressure canning above 116 degrees Celsius to be safe. Acidic foods such as pickles and fruit resist it because the pH is too low. It sits in Mondo's food collection, one of 200 facts that each trace back to the reference below.

Where this comes from

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Facts that can change over time are reviewed and updated. If something here looks wrong, Mondo would rather know than be confidently incorrect.

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Raw flour carries bacteria from the fieldMilling does not sterilise grain, so uncooked dough is not safe to eat Bacteria multiply fastest between 4 and 60Food safety guidance calls that range the danger zone for perishable food Reheated rice carries a spore riskCooked rice left warm can grow Bacillus cereus, which survives reheating High thermal processing destroys heat-resistant spores in canningPressure canning reaches high temperatures to eliminate Clostridium botulinum spores Canned tomatoes are already cooked, which changes themHeat breaks down cell walls and turns the fruit softer and more savoury Honey is not for infants under oneIt can carry dormant botulism spores that a baby gut cannot yet stop

Tags: food-safety, canning, bacteria

Botulism bacteria thrive without oxygen: the short answers

Where does this come from, and can I check it?: Sealed low acid preserves can support Clostridium botulinum growth. The figure is taken from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
Is this really a food fact?: Yes. It sits on the Food shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.
What else can I read about it?: The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.