The Fairfield Department of Health says potato salad made with home-canned potatoes is the likely cause of a foodborne botulism outbreak following a church potluck in Lancaster on April 19.
The findings come after a deadly outbreak of the illness a week ago at the Cross Pointe Free Baptist Church.
The illness has left one person dead and impacted at least 21 other churchgoers.
In the wake of the outbreak, health officials are urging the public to get educated on proper home-canning techniques. In a press release, The Fairfield Department Of Health says this includes "always using a pressure canner or cooker when canning vegetables, meat, poultry, and seafood. Pressure canning kills the germ that causes botulism when foods are processed at the correct time and pressure in pressure canners or cookers. Do not use boiling water canners when canning vegetables, meat, poultry, and seafood, because they will not protect against botulism poisoning."
