How to avoid botulism when smoking fish in Masterbuilt smoker

depglass · ‎03-10-2010

I remember years ago there was a case of botulism in smoked fish from a small commercial smoker, the guys that catch their fish in the Great Lakes and then smoke them. Is this an issue when using the Masterbuilt smoker? I used it for fish once before I put it away for the winter. I'd like to get educated before spring.

Tzu4u · ‎04-19-2010

The botulism would come from smoking fish that was spoiled. You will not get sick from smoking FRESH fish.

The smoking time for fish, like a half salmon, in a masterbuilt smoker would be less than 2 hours, depending on the thickness. No way to get sick from the smoker.

jaxs mom · ‎04-18-2012

Botulism requires an anaerobic environment. I don't know of any smokers that produce that. I'm wondering if he canned the fish after smoking?

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rosehill · ‎03-09-2010

On 3/4/2015 jaxs mom said:
Botulism requires an anaerobic environment. I don't know of any smokers that produce that. I'm wondering if he canned the fish after smoking?

You are pretty smart, jaxs mom. My son has a food safety testing microbiology lab, and you are correct. Botulism requires an anaerobic environment to grow.

depglass · ‎03-10-2010

No, these guys smoked the fish and sold it out of a butcher case, just wrapped in paper and out the door. I would give the city but my memory is hazy and I don't want to slander anyone. But I wasn't shopping at that particular place, we always bought somewhere else. I'm going with the spoiled fish answer and cross my fingers. What I have smoked so far has been wild caught Alaskan salmon that was frozen first. The price seems way down lately.

Mrsq2022 · ‎03-10-2010

I googled this and read of a Wisconson-based company that had botulism in their smoked fish in 2012, but it was fish smoked then sealed in vacuum wrapped plastic. That is where the botulism forms, in the anaerobic vacuum packaging and not at the time of smoking. I've seen other recalls but normally when I buy smoked salmon or other smoked fish, they are in vacuum sealed packacking so I can see the botulism risk there. Maybe someone else will comment, but I'd think that you'd be safe so lomg as you aren't sealing the fish once smoked.

depglass · ‎03-10-2010

OK, I found my case. It was way back in 1963 (yikes!) in Grand Haven, MI. A company called H Dornbos was vacuum packing some of this smoked fish and selling it to Kroger. It resulted in several illnesses and 6 fatalaties, some as far away as Tennessee. I can't get some of the newspaper accounts to open with my primitive ISP, so I don't know if they went out of business over this or not. Between this and the case in WI in 2012 cited by CAShopper2011, which also involved vacuum packing, I can smoke away this summer.

Mrsq2022 · ‎03-10-2010

Good news! It will be fun to use your smoker without wondering and worrying!

Zhills · ‎11-15-2011

In 1963, people were not as "germ" conscious as they are now.

The fish could have been handled with soiled hands while packaging. I have eaten smoked mullet all my life. Never heard of a problem with it.

Campion · ‎10-21-2011

You got it--it was the vacuum packing AFTER the smoking. Anaerobic environment (ie, no oxygen.) The Clostridium botulinum grow when there is no air and this bacteria is all over, naturally. It just doesn't grow and produce that toxin with oxygen. It's one reason that despite the fact I know pressure canning works, I won't eat anyone's non-acid foods that are canned at home. A friend served me soup that he did this to and didn't tell me. I had one spoonful and stopped. I was lucky because a bite is often enough. It is a very powerful toxin (half a pound of purified toxin can kill the entire world's population.)

I myself was gifted with a pressure canner but I won't do it myself. You need to be ultra cautious and make sure the pressure is accurate and I can just buy canned soup if I need it.

Another potential for botulism is preserving garlic cloves in oil. You can get lucky, or you can be unlucky. As for home-prepared mixtures of garlic in oil, the FDA recommends that these “be made fresh for use and not left at room temperatures.” Any leftovers should be refrigerated for use within three days, frozen for longer storage, or discarded.