# Potatoes/Botulism



## pcieluck (Dec 9, 2010)

In the restaurant I work in, leftover baked potatoes are cut in half at the end of day and refrigerated to prevent botulism. I know this is a serious risk, i find while searching google, in "baked potatoes wrapped in aluminum foil," but what about a Yukon gold I've par-boiled tonight, that's cooling whole in the refrigerator a plastic zip-lock bag so lunch can be made faster tomorrow?


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

Don't know where you got this info re botulism?  The purpose of splitting  is so more surface is exposed therefore it cools a lot faster . Bakers should NOT be wrapped in foil> At least not in a classy operation. First when wrapped they do not bake, they steam. They should be washed well ,as like me some people eat the skin. rubbed with oil and sprinkled with salt, both for texture and taste.. Some people bake them on kosher salt . A real baked tater should be fluffy when cut into

Re the  Yukon Gold or any other kind, steam or cook almost all the way thru, put pot under cold running water  let get down to room temp or below,put on a wire rak on top of sheet pan and put in  fridge. Forget plastic bag it is not needed. To reheat just put back in steamer or boiling water.  A good baker should be fluffy on the inside., and should not be all cooked at same time for service  it should be staggered so they dont sit around and get soggy and pasty.  If dinner service is 6 to 10 cook x amount every hour so they are fresh and don;t  sit around for 4 hours.. It's little things like this that make a quality place and good dining experience for the patron.


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## pcieluck (Dec 9, 2010)

This is home use, purpose 100% to make my lunch between my two jobs to cook in minutes. so simple question, is it safe to eat? or have i made a potential time/temperature error filled with botulism and cause harm to me and my lady friend?

though i will keep all that info under my hat should i find myself in charge of what i'm trying to make a quality place.


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## cheflayne (Aug 21, 2004)

The botulism threat that occurs with foil wrapped potatoes happens when people put the potatoes away in the refrigerator for the night without unwrapping the potatoes first. The bacteria that causes botulism is naturally occurring in the soil (easy to be on a potato skin) and needs a warm low oxygen environment (wrapped warm in foil overnight) to form the spores that become the toxin that is botulism.

The whole Yukon potato boiled and put in the refrigerator for the night will be fine as long as you don't seal it up in a zip lock bag, merely put it on a shelf in the refrigerator unwrapped and uncut to cool.


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## chefbillyb (Feb 8, 2009)

FindArticles / Health / FDA Consumer / Oct, 1984
[h1]How onions and a baked potato became sources of botulism poisoning[/h1][h2]by Roger W. Miller [/h2]
The other botulism case involving an unlikely suspect, the potato, occurred in Baton Rouge, La., in May of this year. A 37-year-old woman was hospitalized with slurred speech blurred vision and respiratory problems--all signs of botulism. The woman had eaten lunch with a friend at a local restaurant. The friend had not become ill, although the two had exchanged food. What they had not exchanged was the baked potato which, the victim had remarked, was "screwed up."

But the potato was suspect before that remark was learned of. The owner of the restaurant, when contacted by health authorities, explained that he had prepared the potato differently on that day. It seems the two women had come into the restaurant before opening time. They were served nevertheless. The baked potato selected was one that had been left over from the day before. At it had previously been baked in a foil wrapped, the owner merely reheated it before serving. It had remained at room temperature overnight.

Those circumstances seemed right for activation of the botulinum spores. And sure enough, a foil-wrapped baked potato was recovered from the restaurant's garbage and sent to FDA's Dallas district laboratory, where an analysis was positive for type A botulinal toxin, the same type recovered from the victim.

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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

Left out overnight and non refrigerated,  Dont use foil anyway even home. You don't need it.


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## pcieluck (Dec 9, 2010)

I didn't use foil, but i did put it in a ziplock. I ultimately didn't use it, and just cooked a fresh potato for this, only took about a half hour anyways.


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## maryb (Mar 21, 2008)

It would have been fine. I store leftover potatoes in ziplock bags all the time. Let cool to room temp, into the bag and into the fridge.


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## kristakaufman (Nov 24, 2016)

Do NOT store food in bags if they are not perforated to have air holes! Botulism occurs in a non oxygen environment. It can't grow in an acidic environment so use vinegars and things to make it 4.5 PH and lower. Lemon Juices added to mixtures also works.

Slamonella is killed at 74C Reheat everything to above that. USE PROBE THERMOMETER!

Hot Holding temps ABOVE 60 C to keep pathogens bacteria from growing. If it has been out in the heat for more then 2 hours throw it out!

Check fridge temps to be safe pathogens don't grow well below 4 C so keep fridge that 4 C and freezer -18C



Here is some helpful info:
 foodsafetytraining.ca it is ONLY $30 and people would learn how to be safe and avoid foodborne illness.

Take this course to learn how to be safe.

It is only $30 Keep foods in fridge at 4 degrees Celsius and the pathogens won't grow if they are not in the danger zone between 4-60 Celsius.

Cut up vegetables should be stored in fridge in ice water to be safe and keep them from growing pathogens fridge must be 4 C or lower.

Always cook to above 74 C when reheating it will kill the bacteria and for things like sprouts onions radishes etc do NOT leave them in a non oxygen environment! --Like submerged in oils etc. THAT is non oxygen and can be dangerous. It can grow botulism.

To stop botulism make things ACIDIC ADD vinegar and lemon juices.

A non oxygen environment like FOIL WRAP on potatatoes THAT is how botulism grows and leaves toxins.

NEVER cover potatoes in foil! --If you do POKE HOLE WITH FORK! remove foil immediately after cooking.

NEVER leave foil on! Do NOT place in food baggies in non oxygenated environment. In a fridge at 4 C below pathogens grow slow so out of luck you may have escaped getting sick BUT normally if at room temp the pathogen would have left toxins and it could kill.

​In grocery stores or at home plastic wrap coverings have to have air holes poked in them. To provide oxygen. Food spoils less often that way and it provides oxygen so botulism can't grow! Things like fruits and vegetables as well as mushrooms etc need to have perforated plastic or air holes it is a regulation to keep people safe!

Several people in the Owen Sound area died from doing just that leaving foil on to keep potatoes warm at a barbeque and they got botulism and died! Never leave potatoes covered. Poke holes in foil with a fork and uncover right away. Hot hold above 60 C so as to slow pathogens. Or cold storage in fridge at 4 C below. Or Reheat to above 74 C to kill things even like salmonella.

The non oxygen environment encourages the bacteria to spores and then they leave toxins it is the toxins that kill.

So for potatoes sprouts and anything grown in dirt do not cook leave it in oil submerged or it is non oxygen if you use foil to cook remove foil immediately and always use fork to poke holes in foil.

NEVER leave anything at room temp 20 C or 37C is the worst temp for bacteria growth.

If it is out at room temp for more than 2 hours throw it out!

Keep in fridge below 4C and freezer -18 C if the sushi was frozen then it would have killed the parasites worms etc.

Hot-hold above 60C Reheat to 74 C And cook meat to 74 C -82 C depending on meat as it kills salmonella ABOVE 74C ----GET A PROBE THERMOMETER!

Insert from the side up to the dimple in thickest part of meat to check poultry at 82Cor 180F Then you can stay safe!

Take the foodsafetytraining.ca course given by health inspectors it is only $30 but could save your life!

Worried about salmonella cook reheat to ABOVE 74C get a Probe thermometer to check .

Never leave things at room temp if it has been out more than 2 hours throw it out!

Check temps of your fridges: 4C and below only for safety.

Freezers below -18C to be safe!

Wash scrub hands and fruits and vegetables use friction!

When canning ADD vinegar or lemon juice something ACIDIC to the food to kill botulism!

It can't live in 4.5 or lower PH so MAKE it acidic! Add vinegars! Freeze Sushi below -18C to make it safe!

Remember - FoodSafetyTraining.Ca it is required in most areas!

Also do NOT buy cans of food discounted because they have dings or are bulging because the bulging cans indicate botulism they can not be used!

The stores make the mistake and discount thinking it can be sold BUT it needs thrown out. Botulism is killed if they pressurized it to over 120 C but sometimes it doesn't kill it and the can will bulge when off gassing from toxins from botulism happens. So lesson- Do NOT buy the discounted bulging or dinged cans! TELL the store to throw it out! Protect yourself and others! 

Sprouts, Vegetables when cut up should be stored in fridge at 4 C in ICE WATER!

Cook sprouts in stir fry to ABOVE 74C to make it safe! ENJOY! Sprouts are healthy. Cook a good stir fry make sure for chicken or poultry and sprouts in it, that it is ABOVE 74 C 74 C and above kills salmonella and if you are worried above botulism then ADD lemon juice vinegars when cooking to mixtures sauces etc. make things ACIDIC to protect yourself.

People don't need to avoid healthy foods just needs to be safe and clean when cooking.

To sanitize use Bleach Chlorine 110 ppm= 2ml per 1 L water or for a 40 L sink use 1/3 cup of bleach to sanitize. Dishes utensils. Quats=Quaternary Ammonias 200 ppm so double. Or Iodine 25 ppm so 1/9 cup per 40 L The ONLY 3 approved cleaning chemicals by health department to clean sanitize kitchens sinks utensils stainless steel appliances etc.


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## kristakaufman (Nov 24, 2016)

Meats and Veg have to be cut up and stored in shallow pans Covered by perforated wrap! Allow oxygen.

​Ready to eat food on top shelf then vegetables fruits in ice water next .

Then ground beef.

then bottom raw or uncooked. In case uncooked meat drips must be on bottom.

6 inches 15 centimeters above floor.


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