Botulism risk in garlic naan bread?

Question

I bought some Garlic flatbread naan from Trader Joe's today and noticed it has pieces of actual garlic in it. The bread is sold with the wraps and other non-refrigerated bread. It comes in a plastic bag, twisted at the top with a typical plastic bread clip to keep it closed.

Since garlic can cause botulism in certain situations, is it possible to get botulism from this type of bread? Shouldn't it be sold refrigerated? Would the bread be dry enough and/or would there be enough oxygen in the enclosed bag to prevent botulism growth?

I ate one of them before realizing it had pieces of actual garlic in it, and now I'm concerned! I know it is likely safe, otherwise it could not be sold this way, but I'd like to ease my mind about it! Thanks!

Answer 1

C. Botulinum is what is called an "obligate anaerobe". It requires an almost oxygen free environment in which to reproduce its spores. These spores then produce the botulism toxin, which is what makes us really ill.

The only way the bread would be free of oxygen, is if it was in special packaging.

I found an article (see below) that does say that scientist believe it’s possible for the spores to reproduce in the “modified atmosphere” packaging sometimes used for bread. Most notable partially baked products. The article does describe the risk as “theoretical” though. As far as I know, “modified atmosphere” packaging is hermetically sealed. So unless the plastic clip on the Naan bread packaging is decorative, or really amazingly good… then from anecdotal experience, I don’t think your bread will be in a modified atmosphere.

I can’t find my source now but I did also read a quote from someone in the food safety industry saying that there have been cases in the UK, of people getting botulism poisoning after eating garlic bread but that the bread in question was made using garlic infused oil. Which I would suspect was home made given the fact that commercially produced oils use garlic that is usually dried or has had it’s pH lowered so that C. Bot cannot grow in it. The cases could also have been from a few decades ago.

So if you can’t categorically rule out the possibility of C. Bot spores growing in bread, it comes down to a question of risk. To which I’d raise another point from the article… you might worry about the garlic but what about the flour? The flour could have been contaminated with C. Bot spores. And baking temperatures, whilst high enough to destroy the botulism toxin (85c for 1 minute), aren’t high enough to kill the spores. But I doubt you worry about every loaf of white, or bagel because the risk is so small.

Is your Naan bread safe to eat? Almost certainly yes.

Could it get you sick? Possibly.

Sick because of botulism? Statistically speaking, no.

Source article: https://www.foodmanufacture.co.uk/Article/2009/12/01/Scientists-explore-possibility-of-botulism-in-bread-and-buns

All this makes me wonder just what the hell they put in those canned breads from Japan?

Answer 2

There are numerous ways for commercial food manufacturers to control c. botulinum...heat treatment, pressure treatment, pH, water activity control, chemicals, and a combination of the above. It is a significant concern for any food manufacturer, so this type of control is taken seriously. I highly doubt Naan, distributed by a large grocer such as Trader Joes, would come with a botulism risk. Most likely, the manufacturer has used a multi-pronged approach to ensure our safety and their liability.

Answer 3

Oxygen is extremely toxic to Clostridium botulinum bacteria, and the ambient atmosphere contains a lot of oxygen. Unless the bread is packed in airtight sealed bag with inert gas, there is no way that C. botulinum could grow and produce the toxin. And reading your description gives me the impression that your bread is not packed in such an airtight bag. Therefore, it is probably safe to eat.

Answer 4

One simple (and tasty) way to alleviate your concerns, however vanishingly small the risk is (and it is, as already covered in other answers) is to heat the bread before eating it, which botulism toxin can't handle. Toast it or reheat it in the oven. Avoid the microwave (which will bring the heat, but not in a tasty way...)