DUSHANBE, July 8, 2016, Asia-Plus – Tajik Deputy Prime Minister, Azim Ibrohim, who also heads the Council for Food Safety Issues, has expressed concern about increasing number of botulism cases in the country.

The Council for Food Safety Issues reportedly held a meeting here yesterday.

Speaking at the meeting, Ibrohim demanded that heads of good safety management bodies give reports on implementation of the plan of work for the first half-year of 2016.

It was noted that the number of botulism cases has increased in the country and that the home-canned vegetables are the most common cause of botulism.

Ibrohim ordered the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Health and Social Protection and other relevant bodies to prepare the guide to home canning.

Ibrohim reportedly drew attention of meeting participants to slow introduction of the ISO 22000 standard.

The ISO 22000 family of International Standards addresses food safety management.

The consequences of unsafe food can be serious and ISO’s food safety management standards help organizations identify and control food safety hazards. As many of today''s food products repeatedly cross national boundaries, International Standards are needed to ensure the safety of the global food supply chain.  The ISO 22000 family contains a number of standards each focusing on different aspects of food safety management.

Botulism is a rare and potentially fatal illness caused by a toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. The disease begins with weakness, trouble seeing, feeling tired, and trouble speaking. This may then be followed by weakness of the arms, chest muscles, and legs.

Botulism can occur in a few different ways. The bacterial spores that cause it are common in both soil and water.  They produce botulinum toxin when exposed to low oxygen levels and certain temperatures.

Foodborne botulism results from contaminated food in which C. botulinum spores have been allowed to germinate in low-oxygen conditions. This typically occurs in home-canned food substances and fermented uncooked dishes.  Given that multiple people often consume food from the same source, it is common for more than a single person to be affected simultaneously.  Symptoms usually appear 12–36 hours after eating, but can also appear within 2 hours to 10 days.