A Comparison of Toxin Production by Clostridium botulinum Type E in Irradiated and Unirradiated Vacuum Packed Fish

Abstract

Summary. The rates of toxin production at 10° by inocula of 105, 104, 103 and 102 spores of Clostridium botulinum type E in vacuum packed herring, cod and haddock were compared with that of equivalent numbers of spores surviving γ‐irradiation at 0.3 Mrad. There was little difference between the rates of toxin production in unirradiated and irradiated fish. More toxin was produced in irradiated herring than in unirradiated, but in haddock the reverse was obtained. In cod about equal amounts of toxin were found without trypsinization; after trypsinization toxin levels were generally higher in irradiated samples.