![Foodborne botulism can be prevented with proper canning techniques and equipment that prevent contamination, according to UGA Extension food safety specialist Carla Schwan.](https://secure.caes.uga.edu/news/multimedia/images/7322/canning-(1).jpg)
Canning Precautions
As home canning season approaches, a University of Georgia food safety expert stressed the need for proper precautions to avoid foodborne illness. A recent death in Washington state was attributed to botulism, a toxin that is a byproduct of the heat-resistant spores of a bacterium called Clostridium botulinum that likely originated from a home-canned food.