A more serious hazard associated with canned food is botulism, the potentially fatal form of food poisoning that may result if the food is not heated for a sufficient period of time to a temperature high enough to kill all Clostridium botulinum (or C. botulinum) spores. C. botulinum is an anaerobic (an = without; aerobic = air) organism that thrives in the absence of oxygen, a condition nicely fulfilled by a sealed can. If a low-acid food (such as green beans or peas or potatoes) is incorrectly canned, botulinum spores not destroyed by high heat during the canning process may produce a toxin that can kill by paralyzing muscles, including the heart muscle and the muscles that enable you to breathe.
To avoid potentially hazardous canned food, don’t buy, store, or use any can that is:
-Swollen: The swelling suggests that bacteria are growing inside and producing gas.
-Damaged, rusted, or deeply dented along the seam: A break in the can permits air to enter and may promote the growth of organisms other than C. botulinum.
1. What two characteristics should customers buying food packaged in metal cans for consumption avoid?(A) Heated and lacking in oxygen
(B) Swollen and damaged
(C) Rusted and heated
(D) Swollen and boiled
(E) Exposed to oxygen and damaged
2. The bulleted points in this passage play what role?(A) They provide anecdotal evidence to support the main paragraph.
(B) They contradict the main paragraph.
(C) They provide an alternative to the main paragraph.
(D) They present the same evidence as what’s in the main paragraph.
(E) They provide a helpful list of characteristics to look for that is drawn from the main paragraph.
3. Which of the following statements most accurately captures the main point of the passage?(A) Botulism is a serious health hazard, but there are steps you can take to avoid the risk of mistakenly consuming it.
(B) Food must be heated to a high enough temperature to kill botulism spores.
(C) C. Botulism is one of the greatest threats facing our collective health today.
(D) Canned food is deadly and should be avoided.
(E) Never buy a can that is swollen.
4. Use the information in the passage to choose the word that most likely means something close to without or lacking water.(A) By hydration
(B) Unhydration
(C) Anhydration
(D) Hydrationless
(E) Innohydration
5. Which of the following would be the best substitute for the word toxic as used in the passage?(A) Destabilizer
(B) Germ
(C) Adhesive
(D) Deferral
(E) Poison
6. Based on the information in this passage, what would be the safest approach to consuming food in cans?(A) Do not consume food in cans.
(B) Boil all food packaged in cans before consuming it.
(C) Carefully check cans for swelling, damage, rust or deep dents, and do not consumer the food therein if you notice any of these.
(D) Do not consume canned low-acid foods such as potatoes.
(E) There’s no way to detect botulism, so all you can do is hope you don’t happen upon a can that contains it.