Inhibition of Clostridium Botulinum by Sodium Nitrite in a Bacteriological Medium and in Meat

Abstract

The inhibitory effect of sodium nitrite on the growth of Clostridium botulinum was studied in a bacteriological medium and in meat suspension. We found that a bacteriological medium heated at 110°C for 20 min with as little as 20ppm of sodium nitrite became inhibitory to C. botulinum and the inhibitor was non-dialyzable. Meat suspension heated with 150ppm of nitrite was inhibitory to C. botulinum, but the inhibitory activity was probably due to a residuum of greater than 100ppm of nitrite: dialysis removed the inhibitory activity. Inhibitor formed in medium could be inactivated by non-fat meat solids but not by fat or water soluble meat extracts. It appears that the inhibitor produced in media is of little or no consequence in explaining the role of nitrite in the safety of commercially-produced canned cured meat.