Although botulism is commonly associated with canned foods and vegetables, tomatoes are rarely implicated. A single botulism outbreak among 116 listed in the GIDEON database is ascribed to tomatoes. In fact, only three papers could be identified through a a PubMed search using the terms “tomatoes” and “botulism.” [1-3] Interestingly, two of these papers originated in Russia, the country which reported the most recent outbreak in ProMED.

One explanation for the relative rarity of botulism in tomatoes is related to the acidity of this vegetable. A lowered pH is thought to act through two mechanisms: enhanced susceptibility of C. botulinum spores to heat sterilization, and inhibition of germination of surviving spores. [4]

1. PopugailaVM, et al. Cases of botulism caused by preserved tomato juice. Gig Sanit 1972; 37:97-199
2. Shtein A, et al. Cases of botulism caused by domestically preserved tomatoes. Vopr Pitan 1969; 28: 92-93
3. Loufty MR,. et al. An outbreak of foodborne botulism in Ontario. Can J Infect Dis 2003; 14:206-209.
4. Bacterial food poisoning and botulism, in: Wilson GS, Miles A. Toply and Wilson’s Principles of Bacteriology, Virology and Immunity, 6th ed, London, Edward Arnold, 1975. pp. 2104-2105.

Also quoted in ProMED.

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