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Japan has recently reported a case of infant botulism /ˈbɒtʃ əˌlɪz əm/, a type of poisoning that occurs among babies who ingest a bacterium from honey.
According to reports, a six-month-old boy died because of honey contaminated with a bacterium called C. botulinum /siˌbɒtʃ əˈlaɪ nəm/. The boy’s parents reportedly gave him juice with honey twice a day for a month, which eventually resulted in coughing, convulsion, and lung failure. Despite government warnings, the parents said that they were not aware of the effects of honey on infants below one year.
Following the incident, Japan Honey Fair Trade Council commented that honey products sold in the country have appropriate warning labels. Recently, the management of recipe website Cookpad also posted warnings about giving honey to infants. In addition, the management plans to increase awareness among its contributors and promised that it will be more careful with its baby food recipes. Cookpad has 140 baby food recipes that use honey as an ingredient.
While honey is known to have C. botulinum, there are other sources of foodborne botulism. The World Health Organization explained that the bacterium often grows in preserved or processed food products. According to Medical News Today, some of the commonly contaminated food are home-canned vegetables, processed meat, raw and smoked fish, as well as corn syrup. Though the said products may contain C. botulinum, experts note that the bacterium can be destroyed by heating food up to 120 degrees Celsius for thirty minutes, which will make it safe for consumption.