TOXINS IN FOOD.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXV, Issue 4653, 25 January 1924, Page 2

TOXINS IN FOOD.

A WARNING.

Twp or three cases of blood poisoning among persons from this district who have been spending holidays u,t the beach in huts or tents have recently been reported (states the Pukekohe paper). In some cases insects were blamed as the cause of the trouble. A considerable quantity of tinned food is used when camping out, and it is reasonable, therefore, to sound a note of warning to people who consume tinned foods to immediately take out 'the contents upon opening, avoid contamination by flies, and refrain from eating any portion that may remain at a later meai. What is commonly called ptomaine poisoning, says a responsible medical officer of health, has now come to be recognized as an infection of special bacilli known as the Gaertner group. The toxins produced by these bacilli are the actual cause of illness. In the majority of outbreaks, the illness is partly due to toxins pre-formed in the food, and partly to toxins elaborated by bacilli in the body after consuming the food. As a general rule, toxin-infected foods are not altered in appearance, taste, or smell ; but where toxins are already present in the food, there will be some faint sign of putrefaction. In the latter case, incubation is usually extremely short ; but where the food is eaten on the day that it is prepared, the person is often affected less than a person who consumes some of the food the next day. This, according to the medical authority we have quoted, shoiws that the element of time is necessary for the productions of toxins in the food. The period between the consumption of infected food and the onset of .symptoms may be as short as half an hour, or as long ns 48 hours, but usually the priod is from six to twelve hour's. New Zo-iland is well served by pure foods legislation, but despite these legal safeguards medical men do not herttate to stress the importance of the people using their utmost endeavours to prevent any foods from becoming contaminated by fles.