The effect of antioxidants, reducing agents, and a chelating agent were tested in perishable canned cured meat. Isoascorbate, ascorbate, and cysteine enhance the antibotulinal effect of nitrite in perishable canned cured meat. It was determined that this effect was not due to the antioxidant or reducing properties which these compounds possess. The data indicate that they enhance the effect of nitrite by sequestering a metal ion(s) in the meat. It is suggested that nitrite (nitric oxide) reacts with a cation dependent material within the germinated botulinal cell and blocks a metabolic step which is essential for outgrowth. Enhancement of nitrite by isoascorbate, and similar compounds, may be due to preventing repair of damaged material or formation of new cation dependent material.

A series of seven tests was conducted to establish a base line for the inhibition of C. borulinum by nitrite in a perishable canned meat product. The product was subjected to abusive storage at 27°C. The degree of variation in swell times and rates among the tests was determined. Predicted average times to first swell were 6.7, 29.8, 82.6 and 94.3 days when 0, 50, 100 and 156 rig/g of sodium nitrite was added to the meat. The primary effect of nitrite appears to have been in determining the length of the lag phase. Once swelling commenced, the rate at which the cans swelled was not significantly different at 50, 100, and 156 rig/g of sodium nitrite. This information will be used to evaluate additives for controlling botulinal growth and toxin production under the conditions described.

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Three experiments are described wherein perishable canned cured pork was prepared with 50 or 156 μg/g added sodium nitrite and 102 or 104 botulinal spores/g. Spore germination (i.e. loss of heat resistance), cell survival, and nitrite depletion were followed during abusive storage at 27 C. Spore germination occurred readily at both levels of added nitrite. The data indicate a race between death of the germinated cells and nitrite depletion. The time at which botulinal outgrowth occurs depends upon the relative levels of residual nitrite and surviving botulinal cells.