Survey of Clostridium botulinum toxins in Iranian traditional food products

A total of 131 traditional food product samples (57 cheese, 11 kashk, and 63 salted fish) were examined using a bioassay method for detection of Clostridium botulinum toxin. Standard monovalent antitoxins were used to determine the toxin types. C. botulinum toxins were detected in 4.58% of examined samples (3.51% of cheese samples and 6.36% of salted fish samples). Contamination with this toxin was not observed in kashk samples. C. botulinum types A & E were dominant in cheese and salted fish samples, respectively. The results indicate that some Iranian traditional foods (cheese and salted fish) are contaminated by different types of C. botulinum. Consumption of these traditional foods either raw or cooked may contribute to food-borne toxicity in Iranian populations.