Preserves Online: Watermelon Preserves

Wednesday, 18 July 2012

Watermelon Preserves

According to Sion Shyng, a Food Safety Specialist at BCCDC, during the summer of 2010, “The jelly was sold through the British Columbia Huntingtons Research Foundation charity booths in Duncan, and may also have been sold in other parts of province.”
Although the product was sold nearly a year ago, officials at BCCDC fear that consumers could still be holding on to it. “We’re concerned that this product may still be in the homes of consumers as jellies can be stored and consumed long after they are purchased,” said Shyng.
Dr. Eleni Galanis, Physician Epidemiologist with BCCDC, explained that “[t]his recall was prompted by a suspect case of botulism on Vancouver Island, and the subsequent investigation of foods recently consumed by the individual.”
“The signs and symptoms of botulism cover a wide spectrum,” noted Dr. Galanis. “Symptoms can begin anywhere from six hours to one week after someone has eaten food containing the toxin,” added Galanis.
In general, symptoms of botulism poisoning include nausea, vomiting, fatigue, dizziness, double vision, drooping eyelids, difficulty swallowing, slurred speech, muscle weakness, and muscle paralysis that moves progressively down the body, affecting the arms first, then the legs. In the most serious cases, botulism can also trigger paralysis of the breathing muscles, which may result in death unless respiratory assistance is provided.