Botulism is a form of food poisoning caused by a bacterial neurotoxin produced by various species of Clostridium, the most well-known of which belong to the Clostridium botulinum group. These strictly anaerobic, spore-forming bacteria are found in the environment (soil, water, and aquatic sediments). In this article, the author presents the epidemiological characteristics of human botulism in France in 2001 and 2002, based on surveillance data from mandatory reporting and the National Reference Center for Anaerobes. In France, botulism is included on the list of notifiable diseases (DO).