In 1998, a large botulism outbreak occurred in El Paso, Texas. What would be the expected outcome if the potatoes had been reheated to 100°C for 10 minutes before being served?

Reheating the potatoes to 100°C for 10 minutes would inactivate the botulinum toxin produced by Clostridium botulinum. The toxin is heat-labile, meaning it can be denatured and rendered inactive when subjected to sufficiently high temperatures for an adequate duration. While the spores of Clostridium botulinum, which are resistant to heat and can survive boiling, would remain viable, any toxin that had already been produced in the food would be destroyed by this heating process. Therefore, this step would significantly reduce the risk of botulism if the toxins were present in the potato dip.

It is important to note that while reheating may not kill the spores, it is effective in neutralizing any toxin present at the time of heating, which is critical for food safety in this context. This understanding emphasizes the importance of proper food handling and the need for cooking methods that ensure both the destruction of toxins and the control of spore viability.