Baked potato botulism.

[Worth1]

It's true if it is baked in foil.
It baffled me until I realized the potato may never get up to spore killing temperature under the foil.
Plus lack of oxygen.
Then if the potato isn't stored properly the spores can hatch and multiply causing toxin.
I personally roast potatoes naked anyway.
Just tossing this information out there for folks.

Cook safely my friends.

[brownrexx]

I have never heard that but I don't like potatoes wrapped in foil anyway. I like the skin to be slightly crisp, or at least dry.

However I don't see why it wouldn't get hot enough in a 350 - 400° oven. That thin foil would not be very good at insulating the potato from the heat.

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by brownrexx

I have never heard that but I don't like potatoes wrapped in foil anyway. I like the skin to be slightly crisp, or at least dry.

However I don't see why it wouldn't get hot enough in a 350 - 400° oven. That thin foil would not be very good at insulating the potato from the heat.

Steam trapped inside foil may be the culprit keeping temperature low.

[Rajun Gardener]

Just as I suspected, it holds the potato at the bad temps(40-140) too long and I didn't even think about the anaerobic action taking place inside.




Why is a baked potato classified as a potentially hazardous food?


Because potatoes are grown in the soil, they are a natural source of Clostridium botulinum. C. botulinum could grow in a cooked, foil wrapped baked potato that is not maintained at proper temperature because the combination of cooking and foil wrap create an anaerobic condition. C. botulinum requires an anaerobic (oxygen-free) environment in which to grow.

An outbreak associated with improperly held foil wrapped baked potatoes actually occurred in a foodservice establishment. The outbreak involved an oven full of cooked, foil wrapped potatoes. After cooking, the oven was turned off and the potatoes were allowed to cool in the oven overnight. The foil wrapping and the warm oven made the conditions right for the growth of Clostridium botulinum and the subsequent development of botulinum toxin. The next day the potatoes were used to make potato salad. The consumers of the potato salad became sick.

Therefore, it is recommended that cooked potatoes be kept hot or cold to prevent the formation of toxin.

[brownrexx]

I would guess that the initial cooking did not kill all of the spores and the cooler temperature overnight allowed the organisms to grow. It is not the spores or the organisms themselves that cause illness. It is the by-products of metabolism of the c.botulinum that makes people sick.

I would never keep ANY food at room temperature for more than an hour but usually I would refrigerate it before that.

I think that this is probably a rare occurrence caused by a "perfect storm" of conditions and it does not mean that cooking potatoes in foil and then eating them immediately would be a problem.

[Worth1]

When I make potato salad I run cold water over the hot potatoes until all the heat is sucked out of them.

[Rajun Gardener]

I like PS warm from the potatoes and eggs, makes the mayo blend in like hot butter.

I don't think the potato thing is something to worry about. I often make steamed potatoes in the rice cooker with about an inch of water for steak and usually have a couple left over that sits in there till I eat it the next day without a problem.

[brownrexx]

It is always better and safer to store cooked food in the refrigerator.

[Worth1]

I follow the rules of the road from the days before refrigeration.
It has never let me down.
That is all I have to say about it and dont want to influence people in my ways.