On Wed, 12 Feb 2003 01:54:49 GMT, (Andy
Spragg) wrote:

Martin Brown wrote:

^ Botulism is relatively common but only a serious health risk if
^ you try making your own herbs in oil and don't get the mix exactly
^ right.

Boggle. Care to expand a little?

The health authorities here from time to time have to seize
home-made oil-preserved garlic being sold at flea markets and
such. The airless environment that results from in-oil
preseveration is congenial to the growth of botulism; perhaps the
risk is higher because garlic is a root crop and it's harder to
remove all traces of soil contamination.

Indeed, about ten years ago there was a high-end restaurant in
Vancouver that was using *commercial* garlic-in-oil and poisoned
a number of people. The cook had opened a new jar, took some out,
recapped it, and in time botulism developed. A number of
customers developed symptoms, though I don't think any died.

I've not heard of other herbs posing such a problem. It always
seems to be garlic that causes difficulty.

--
Rodger Whitlock
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada