why is botulism found in carrot juice and not in carrots themselves?

Answer 1

In the case I believe you are referring to, the bolutin became present in the carrot juice after the can had been left open out of the refrigerator for an extended amount of time allowing it to spoil and thus bolutism to develop.

Answer 2

Botulism is a potentially lethal neurological condition involving paralysis, not a substance.

It is che consequence of intake of a toxin, variously referred to as "botulin", or "botulism toxin", generated by bacteria of the Clostridium botulinum family, commonly found in soil.

The bacterium is per se harmless if encounteder in small colonies that have produced negligible quantities of the toxin.

However, such bacteria grow best in a moist and oxygen-poor environment, which they find in poorly sterilized packaged foods, and also in the intestine, especially that of small infants. Their growth leads to the production of dangerous amounts of the toxin.

Carrots could potentially carry Clostridium bacteria from soil, and a colony could indeed develop if carrots were held in a tightly closed container - such as a plastic bag - where the living carrot, which does not carry out much photosynthesis anyway, could consume much of the oxygen.

However, in such conditions, spoliage caused by cell death and the action of several strains of bacteria is assured and visible, while carrots are well known known to last up to several months in a reasonably ventilated and cold envirnoments.

Also a poorly executed non-sterile packing of whole carrots in vacuum plastic bag, or of carrot juice in cartons can allow bacterial growth.

Also, a perfectly packed carrot juice can become infected AFTER being opened. Most moist processed foods should be treated as potential food for bacteria and kept both refrigerated and clean.

This means that juices, milk, etc. should not only be kept in the fridge, but also their container should be opened as litlte as possible to avoid contamination from airborne agents - such as Clostridium spore, that blow very well in the wind.

By the same token, any juice or dairy drink carton you drink directly from should be considered infected and consumed as soon as possible EVEN IF THE BACTERIA WERE ORIGINALLY ALREADY ON YOUR BODY, because they are now introduced into a very different, and perhaps more favorable enviroment.

Back to carrots, normal storage conditions of reasonably fresh carrots ensure an environment unlikely to allow Clostridium to develop to any dangerous extent.

Answer 3

I believe that botulism is caused by a bacteria that forms when food is improperly packaged or exposed to no refrigeration for a period of time. The conditions become ripe for the bacteria to form. This is especially prevalent in meat and why a person must be so careful in canning meat. The organism itself is not in the meat or vegetable but forms later from improper conditions.