Want to be sure you’re not getting botulism food poisoning? Your best bet is to get a rapid COVID-19 test kit from the Ontario Food and Drugs Regulatory Agency.
To learn more about how to protect yourself from botulism outbreaks, sign up for the Guardian’s health email.
Topline findings
Oxidative stress – so-called because foods or food processes cause it – can trigger attacks of botulism. Typical causes of acidity disturbance include food processing; prolonged food storage; chemical contamination such as from moisture condensation or rotting of the plant materials, and contamination from cross-contamination of food with contaminated meat. In Ontario a rapid test kit can show if you’re a candidate for rapid approval for remediation of damaged chard, onions, or cauliflower. You can also use the results for other botulism-related testing.
How it works
FAST test, or Quick-Educated Diagnostic Alcohol/Drug Test, is designed to check a person’s ability to metabolize alcohol or drugs quickly after they’ve ingested them. According to the OFLRA, humans naturally metabolize alcohol, an amino acid known as taurine, within minutes and taken into the brain within a few hours. If the test indicates that a person can’t metabolize the alcohol after it’s ingested, OFLRA recommends immediate medical attention.
About this test
OFLRA developed the FAST test after analyzing various cases of suspected botulism outbreaks. Operational safety officials, food processors, and food-related testing laboratories all have used OFLRA fast test kits.
Testing instructions
The OFLRA reckons that if your rapid COVID-19 test kit takes three minutes to test, you should be able to reduce your risk of botulism disease.