Effect of Irradiation on Antibotulinal Efficacy of Nitrite

Abstract

ABSTRACT Ground pork meat was cured with the addition of 0, 50, 100, 156, and 200 mg/kg NaNO 2 , pasteurized and irradiated with 0, 3, 6, 9, 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 kGy. After irradiation the samples were inoculated with a mixture of Clostridium botulinum type A, B and E spores, incubated at 30°C for 28 days and tested for the presence of botulinal toxin. Doses up to 9 kGy caused a decrease of NaNO 2 content with a corresponding decrease in antibotulinal activity. High irradiation doses resulted in a dose‐dependent decrease in nitrite content with complete loss of antibotulinal activity.