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<pre>Philip and Dan et al

There was indeed a case of food poisoning caused by whole cloves of garlic
preserved in olive oil in America.

Vegetables like garlic carry the botulism bacteria which is not harmful in
aerobic conditions as the bacteria cannot develop.

However, if the same vegetables are put into olive oil, the olive oil can
provide the kind of anaerobic medium (lackinging in oxygen) which botulism
likes to multiply in.

I always suggest that if people want to flavour olive oil they should use
dried herbs which have been chemically treated or irradiated to kill the
botulism bacteria.

If they use fresh herbs or garlic they do so at their own risk, though they
are probaly safe if they leave some air in the top of the bottle and shake
the bottle everyday to keep oxygen moving through.

However, they should not keep the mixture too long as the oxygen will damage
the oil.

Don't know what all this means in terms of olive oil as a medium for general
(aerobic) tummy bugs. But do not think that olive oil is like honey which
does inhibit the growth of bugs

Maybe we need a bacteriologist to tell us about
e-coli, salmonella and the like with olive oil. I would think that it is
difficult to contaminate olive oil but if you put the piece of bad meat in
that was suggested you might have a problem.

Judy Ridgway

----- Original Message -----
From: "Philip Maro" <pmaro@rev.net>
To: <OliveOil@egroups.com>
Sent: 07 January 2001 00:36
Subject: Re: [OliveOil] Health


> At 07:37 AM 1/7/01 +1000, you wrote:
> >Dear All,
> >
> >Some weeks ago I asked whether olive oil was a good medium for the
survival
> >and/ or growth of "tummy bugs". No one has responded. Have I touched
> >upon a sensitive subject or, really, does no one know? I would be
grateful
> >for some advice.
> >
> >Dan
> >SE Queensland
>
> Dan:
>
> I am assuming you are talking about the various bacteria and viruses that
> love to invade the human digestive tract. If you are that is a very good
> question. I too would like to hear some input on that. I do know that
> there can be a problem with garlic cloves soaked in oil, though I don't
> remember exactly what it can cause. If I remember correctly it was an
> anerobic type contaminant. Maybe someone out there can blow the cobwebs
away?
>
> Phil
>
> Phil Maro
> pmaro@rev.net
>
>
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</pre>
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