By . Hannah Roberts In Rome . PUBLISHED: . 11:39 EST, 22 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:46 EST, 23 July 2013 . Dozens of people have been hospitalised in Italy after eating pesto sauce contaminated with Botulinum. More than 50 people, who had eaten jarred pesto from a local producer, sought help at local hospitals after suffering symptoms including vomiting, diarrhoea and high fevers. Tests on the pesto showed the presence of the bacteria Clostridium botulinum, which produces the toxin Botulinum, used cosmetically by television personalities such as Simon Cowell. When ingested the toxin causes a life-threatening kind of food poisoning. A local brand of Italian green pesto, made with basil (see stock picture), has been linked with Botox contamination after more than 50 people were hospitalised . Health and food safety workers were inundated with calls through the weekend requesting information on the scare. The victims are almost all from the area around Genoa, the birthplace of the famous pasta sauce, the Italian newspaper La Repubblica reported. Six of those admitted, including two children, were kept in overnight for observation as further tests are carried out. The local producer responsible for the outbreak has been growing the area’s renowned basil for almost two centuries, but only recently started selling pre-prepared jars of the sauce. Bruzzone and Ferrari alerted health authorities on Friday pulling the jars from supermarket shelves. The company said: ‘We made the discovery during our own tests and analysis of our fresh product, non pasteurised product, which contains no preservatives’. Local newspaper Il Secolo XIX reported on Saturday that Stefano Bruzzone, one of the company's owners, as saying: 'In one sample we found level of substances which forced us to recall a whole batch of the product.' Tests on the pesto showed the presence of the bacteria Clostridium botulinum, which produces the toxin Botulinum, used cosmetically to hide wrinkles and known as Botox . He told the paper they have done everything they should do to  take care of their customers, spending 25,000 euros a year on laboratory analyses to avoid such episodes. He added that the tests were still in progression. But today's national newspaper La Stampa reports: ‘In one of the batches of Pesto di Pra produced by the old established company Ferrari e Bruzone, in an internal test, the germs responsible for the toxin Cloostridium botulium have been found.’ The botulinum toxin can occur in conserves and jarred foods and attacks the nervous system. While it usually causes similar symptoms to food poisoning including vomiting, stomach pains and fever it can in extreme cases cause psychosis and even death. The name pesto comes from 'pestello', the Italian word for the pestle which was once used to grind basil, garlic and cheese into the well-loved sauce. The earliest known record of the sauce is an 1865 cookbook ‘Genovese Recipes’ in which it is defined as ‘beaten basil and garlic which is used to season pasta’.
More than 50 people hospitalised from pesto contaminated with Botulinum .
Manufacturer Bruzzone and Ferrari carried out tests on their products .
Company confirmed presence of the bacteria toxin could have developed in one batch of its pesto, and said tests are ongoing .
Botulinum is used in Botox and is toxic when ingested .
By . Hannah Roberts In Rome . PUBLISHED: . 11:39 EST, 22 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:46 EST, 23 July 2013 . Dozens of people have been hospitalised in Italy after eating pesto sauce contaminated with Botulinum. More than 50 people, who had eaten jarred pesto from a local producer, sought help at local hospitals after suffering symptoms including vomiting, diarrhoea and high fevers. Tests on the pesto showed the presence of the bacteria Clostridium botulinum, which produces the toxin Botulinum, used cosmetically by television personalities such as Simon Cowell. When ingested the toxin causes a life-threatening kind of food poisoning. A local brand of Italian green pesto, made with basil (see stock picture), has been linked with Botox contamination after more than 50 people were hospitalised . Health and food safety workers were inundated with calls through the weekend requesting information on the scare. The victims are almost all from the area around Genoa, the birthplace of the famous pasta sauce, the Italian newspaper La Repubblica reported. Six of those admitted, including two children, were kept in overnight for observation as further tests are carried out. The local producer responsible for the outbreak has been growing the area’s renowned basil for almost two centuries, but only recently started selling pre-prepared jars of the sauce. Bruzzone and Ferrari alerted health authorities on Friday pulling the jars from supermarket shelves. The company said: ‘We made the discovery during our own tests and analysis of our fresh product, non pasteurised product, which contains no preservatives’. Local newspaper Il Secolo XIX reported on Saturday that Stefano Bruzzone, one of the company's owners, as saying: 'In one sample we found level of substances which forced us to recall a whole batch of the product.' Tests on the pesto showed the presence of the bacteria Clostridium botulinum, which produces the toxin Botulinum, used cosmetically to hide wrinkles and known as Botox . He told the paper they have done everything they should do to  take care of their customers, spending 25,000 euros a year on laboratory analyses to avoid such episodes. He added that the tests were still in progression. But today's national newspaper La Stampa reports: ‘In one of the batches of Pesto di Pra produced by the old established company Ferrari e Bruzone, in an internal test, the germs responsible for the toxin Cloostridium botulium have been found.’ The botulinum toxin can occur in conserves and jarred foods and attacks the nervous system. While it usually causes similar symptoms to food poisoning including vomiting, stomach pains and fever it can in extreme cases cause psychosis and even death. The name pesto comes from 'pestello', the Italian word for the pestle which was once used to grind basil, garlic and cheese into the well-loved sauce. The earliest known record of the sauce is an 1865 cookbook ‘Genovese Recipes’ in which it is defined as ‘beaten basil and garlic which is used to season pasta’.
contaminated with Botulinum. More than 50 people, produces the toxin Botulinum, used cosmetically as further tests are carried out. The local pre-prepared jars of the sauce. Bruzzone and on the pesto showed the presence of the bacteria