Mondo Knows Facts
High thermal processing destroys heat-resistant spores in canning
Pressure canning reaches high temperatures to eliminate Clostridium botulinum spores
Commercial and home canning preserves low-acid foods by heating sealed containers above one hundred and sixteen degrees Celsius using pressurised steam. Temperatures above boiling are required to destroy dormant spores of Clostridium botulinum bacteria. Deprived of oxygen inside airtight cans, surviving spores would otherwise produce dangerous toxins.
Where this comes from
US Food and Drug Administration
Facts that can change over time are reviewed and updated. If something here looks wrong, Mondo would rather know than be confidently incorrect.
Go further
More facts like this
Canned tomatoes are already cooked, which changes themHeat breaks down cell walls and turns the fruit softer and more savouryWood smoke coats meat in antimicrobial phenolic compoundsBurning hardwood releases aromatic smoke chemicals that retard surface bacteriaHoney resists microbial growth through low water contentHigh sugar concentration and natural acidity prevent bacteria from surviving in honeySalt preserves food by drawing out water via osmosisDehydrating muscle tissues deprives bacteria of the liquid required for survivalBrief boiling inactivates enzymes that degrade vegetablesScalding vegetables in boiling water preserves bright colour and crisp textureSalt and anaerobic bacteria ferment cabbage into sauerkrautSubmerging shredded cabbage in natural brine prevents mold while producing tart acid
Tags: canning, preservation, safety
High thermal processing destroys heat-resistant spores in canning: the short answers
- Where does this come from, and can I check it?
- Pressure canning reaches high temperatures to eliminate Clostridium botulinum spores. The figure is taken from US Food and Drug Administration, 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 1,090 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.