Specifically in the context of fermentation, if you manage to get fermentation started correctly /prior/ to the formation of bacteria colonies, that food will b

Specifically in the context of fermentation, if you manage to get fermentation started correctly /prior/ to the formation of bacteria colonies, that food will be safe to eat because fermentation creates an environment of competitive exclusion. Essentially, yeast colonies and bacteria colonies want the same things, whichever forms first will prevent the other from forming. This is even true for bacterial fermentation like lacto-fermentation, which is even safer since it produces an acid as an output and creates an acidic environment as well as one in which they outcompete other bacteria. It's not like you can just seal up a jar and it's going to form botulism, it's necessary that the botulism spores have the necessary resources to multiply, just as it's important that yeast or other fermenting agents require the necessary resources to multiply and colonize. I definitely appreciate your point, but I also think your concern, in the context of fermentation, is overblown. In fact, I generally assume anything that's fermented properly is safe to eat. If you ferment it, and it doesn't taste bad, it's basically good to go for the human body. This is part of why we now use the term "probiotics" which are mostly bacterial or yeast growths that are involved in fermentation and can help to fight off illness causing bacteria. Beer, wine, kimchi, sour kraut, and pretty much anything else you ferment is safe exactly because of this competitive exclusion.