[PennsylvaniaMom]

I am going to ask an incredibly dumb question...I understand that canned green beans are in question here...but I would like to ask (as we eat alot of green beans here—yes, the dreaded gb casserole) are frozen beans ever a botulism risk (as we have both Food Club and ShopNSave brands on hand)? Does freezing kill off botulism?

[Billthedrill]

Freezing doesn't kill C botulinum, but it doesn't let whatever microorganisms that are present grow. To produce the toxin they have to be respiring, which they can't do in a frozen state. Even if the beans are thawed and refrozen the conditions necessary for botulinum poisoning aren't present. Eat 'em up. Yum!

[NRA2BFree]

I am going to ask an incredibly dumb question...I understand that canned green beans are in question here...but I would like to ask (as we eat alot of green beans here—yes, the dreaded gb casserole) are frozen beans ever a botulism risk (as we have both Food Club and ShopNSave brands on hand)? Does freezing kill off botulism?

That's a good question, and not dumb at all. Unfortunately, I don't know the answer. You might want to call the number they gave and ask them. If they don't know, call your local health department. If they can't tell you, they can probably tell you who to call.

[spunkets]

Re: botulism

In order to grow, Clostridium bacteria require that there be no oxygen. That’s the reason canned foods and deep puncture wounds are susceptible. The species includes tetani, botulinum, difficile, perfringins, ect... C. difficile grows in the intestines after the normal flora and fauna, that normally keep it from growing, are killed by antibiotics.