You may not hear it about it much, but Clostridium perfringens is one of the most common foodborne illness sources with about 1 million cases in the U.S. each year. Common symptoms are diarrhea and stomach cramps within 6-24 hours of eating contaminated food.
Where is it commonly found? In foods that have been temperature abused. This means the food was kept at unsafe temperatures, between 40°F—140°F, and pathogen grows and multiplies. Common food sources include soup, stews, gravies, meat, poultry, casseroles and other large amounts of food. Outbreaks tend to happen where large groups of people are served the meal. These outbreaks occur mostly in November and December.
So, as you plan your holidays, remember to keep hot food hot, cold food cold, and cool leftovers safely by dividing large quantities into small quantities to cool quickly. Do your part to prevent illness from C. perfringens!
