Can you prevent from Botulism by boiling food?!
As far as canned goods from the store, you don't have to worry too much. If the can is dented or "bloated" looking, do not purchase it. If you open a product at home and it has a frothy, foamy look on top, throw it out. You can always boil your food anyway for peace of mind, but it's usually only a problem for home-canning. Washing the food will not help, as only extreme heat can destroy the toxin. One random fact to know also is to never give infants honey, as it contain botulism spores that only a more developed digestive tract can process. Hope this answers your question!
Answers: Yes, you can. You need to boil food for 10-11 minutes to destroy the toxins created by the bacteria. The biggest concern you should have in this case is home-canned foods. If you can anything, make sure you follow current, up-to-date USDA standards. If you are buying home-canned goods from a family store or farmer's market, you may inquire about the process they use. If you are unsure, just go ahead and boil whatever you are going to eat. Sometimes this will not matter for foods that do not have a lot of acid in them, so definitely inquire about the process for these, or just don't buy them. If you want something that you probably wouldn't boil (ie jam), make sure the seller uses the correct processes to can it. C. botulinum is the bacteria that causes botulism and it can be tricky, so always be cautious. This bacteria can be fatal even in small amounts.
As far as canned goods from the store, you don't have to worry too much. If the can is dented or "bloated" looking, do not purchase it. If you open a product at home and it has a frothy, foamy look on top, throw it out. You can always boil your food anyway for peace of mind, but it's usually only a problem for home-canning. Washing the food will not help, as only extreme heat can destroy the toxin. One random fact to know also is to never give infants honey, as it contain botulism spores that only a more developed digestive tract can process. Hope this answers your question!
You can prevent botulism only by washing food as the germs come from the soil in which the food has grown.