Which statement about botulism is correct?

• A. Botulism Types C and D are most common in humans
• B. Botulism typically occurs in canned foods with a final pH of < 4.6
• C. Boiling foodstuffs potentially contaminated with C. Botulinum toxin at 85 degrees C for at least 5 minutes of internal temperature destroys the toxin.
• D. Ingestion of pre-formed toxins is the most common form of botulism in infants

Answer: (C)

Botulinum toxin is extremely potent but heat-labile, meaning it can be inactivated by adequate heat. Heating contaminated food to near boiling and holding it there for several minutes can destroy the toxin, so the statement that boiling to 85°C for at least 5 minutes destroys the toxin reflects this property and is the best choice. It’s also why proper cooking can prevent illness even if toxin is present. It’s important to remember that spores of C. botulinum survive heating and can later produce toxin if conditions allow, which is why preventing growth in foods (especially low-acid, anaerobic ones) is crucial. In infants, botulism usually results from ingestion of spores that colonize the gut and produce toxin, not from pre-formed toxin, so that statement is not correct. And in humans, the most common toxin types are A, B, and E; C and D are much less common in people, so that option isn’t accurate either.