Canning temperatures for low-acid vegetables, meat, and poultry in pressure canner. Do not store raw meats for more than 5 days or poultry, fish or ground meat for more than 2 days in refrigerator. What Causes It Clostridium botulinum. Spore-forming organisms that grow and produce toxin in the absence of oxygen, such as in a sealed container. Spores are extremely heat resistant.
Spores are harmless, but the toxin is a deadly poison.
Symptoms Double vision, inability to swallow, speech difficulty, progressive respiratory paralysis. Fatality rate is high, in the United States about 65 percent. Characteristics of Illness Transmitted by eating food containing the toxin. Usually within 12 to 36 hours or longer. Control Measures Bacterial spores in food are destroyed by high temperatures obtained only in the pressure canner.