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Effect of Curing Agents on the Growth and Survival of Food‐Poisoning Strains of Clostridium perfringens
Author(s) -
GOUGH BOBBY J.,
ALFORD JOHN A.
Publication year - 1965
Publication title -
journal of food science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 150
eISSN - 1750-3841
pISSN - 0022-1147
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2621.1965.tb01881.x
Subject(s) - clostridium perfringens , curing (chemistry) , spore , food science , heat resistance , chemistry , brine , food poisoning , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , bacteria , materials science , composite material , organic chemistry , polymer chemistry , genetics
SUMMARY The effects of different combinations of curing salts (NaCl, NaNO 3 , NaNO 2 ) and temperature on the growth, survival, and heat resistance of several strains of Clostridium perfringens were investigated. These strains were shown to survive and grow in concentrations of curing salts considerably higher than those used in normal curing operations. When used in conjunction with heat, the concentrations of curing salts required to affect cell survival were still well above those usually employed. Hams were pumped with curing brines inoculated with low concentrations of spores of a food‐poisoning strain of C. perfringens , then cured and smoked according to routine procedures, C. perfringens could still be isolated from the hams after cooling. A simple procedure for preparing reproducible inocula of aged spores is described. These aged spores showed much greater resistance to heat after storage in meat‐brine mixtures than did spores from young sporulating cultures.