Woman dies in French botulism outbreak

FOOD SAFETY NEWS – One of the six people who fell ill in a French botulism outbreak linked to cake has died.

French media reported the 78-year-old woman who died had made the cake using a jar of carrots stored in her home. Another of the patients remains in intensive care.

In July, the Pays de la Loire Regional Health Agency (ARS) said it was informed of half a dozen botulism cases in the Cholet area. Six people developed severe symptoms between July 7 and 14, requiring hospitalization. They had shared a meal that included carrot cake.

Health officials said when opening a product in a can or jar, if there is an abnormal odor or color, if the can does not make a noise when opened, or if it is swollen, the product should be thrown away and not consumed.

Botulinum poisoning is a rare but life-threatening condition caused by toxins produced by Clostridium botulinum bacteria. In foodborne botulism, symptoms generally begin 18 to 36 hours after eating contaminated food. However, they can occur as soon as six hours or up to 10 days later.

Symptoms may include double or blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing or breathing, paralysis — particularly of muscles used for breathing — a thick-feeling tongue, dry mouth, and muscle weakness.

Santé publique France has also published data on all types of botulism in the country from 2018 to 2024.

From January 2018 to December 2024, 74 outbreaks were reported with 122 cases, 107 hospitalizations, and one death. The minimum number of outbreaks reported annually was seven in 2021 and the maximum was 15 in 2019. The minimum and maximum number of cases were nine in 2021 and 31 in 2024, respectively.

Foodborne botulism accounted for 56 outbreaks in the period studied. Homemade preparations were the primary source of botulism in 20 outbreaks. followed by contamination from processed foods in seven outbreaks.

Artisanal products were linked to six incidents and foods consumed abroad to five outbreaks. Expired foods and food from restaurants both caused three outbreaks.

An outbreak was traced to homemade canned sardines eaten in a restaurant in Bordeaux in 2023. Overall, there were 15 patients from seven countries and one person died. Inspections at the restaurant revealed faulty sterilization techniques during the preparation of canned food. Another outbreak linked to garlic pesto in 2024 sent five people to intensive care.

Of 97 foodborne botulism cases, the median age was 40 with a range of from younger then 1 to 81 years old. Among the reported cases, 85 percent were hospitalized and 35 percent needed respiratory support. The main symptoms included visual problems, paralysis and digestive troubles.

Clostridium botulinum toxins isolated from cases of foodborne botulism were primarily type B, followed by type A. In one outbreak in 2021, type E toxin was identified in two people who consumed a meal together.