France withdraws pesto sauce after likely cases of botulism

Botulism is a rare but potentially fatal disease if not diagnosed rapidly and treated with antitoxin

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Some samples of the sauce have been sent to the Institut Pasteur for further analysis. — AFP File

By Reuters

Published: Tue 10 Sep 2024, 4:22 PM

The French farm ministry on Tuesday said it detected five likely cases of food-borne botulism, a potentially fatal disease, in central France linked to contaminated pesto sauce that had been sold at some regional market fairs.

According to the World Health Organisation, botulism is a rare but potentially fatal disease if not diagnosed rapidly and treated with antitoxin.

"Considering the incubation time (from a few hours to a few days) and the serious nature of the disease, people who have consumed these products are called to be very vigilant and to consult a doctor in case of symptoms," the French farm ministry said.

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Botulism is primarily caused by consumption of improperly processed food.

The French government issued an immediate recall of the wild garlic pesto sauce, made by a small local producer, which likely caused the cases. Some samples have been sent to the Institut Pasteur for further analysis.

Reuters

Published: Tue 10 Sep 2024, 4:22 PM

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