Feasibility of using food-grade additives to control the growth of Clostridium perfringens

Previously, it was demonstrated that the combination of sucrose laurate (SL ) ethylenediaminetetraacetate (E) and butylated hydroxyl anisole (B) (SLEB) was an effective antimicrobial agent against both gram-negative (aerobes) and gram-positive (facultative anaerobes) foodborne bacteria. This investig ation examines the sensitivity of Clostridium perfringens to SLEB relative to: (1) the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of SLEB required to inhi bit the growth of C. perfringens and (2) the antibacterial effectiveness of different combination ratios of SLEB in fluid thioglycollate medium (FTM). Results indicated that the MIC of SLEB (1:1:1, v/v/v) against C. perfringe ns on tryptose sulfite cycloserine (TSC) agar was >150 ppm at 37 degrees C. However, in FTM, a SLEB (1:1:1, v/v/v) concentration of > 100 ppm inhibite d C. perfringens during an incubation (anaerobic) period of 196 h at 37 deg rees C. The sensitivity of C. perfringens to different combination ratios w as also investigated in FTM. The results showed that, when the concentratio ns of SL and E were held at 75 ppm in the SLEB combination, and the concent ration of B increased from 0 to 75 ppm, C. perfringens growth increased ini tially during the first 24 h of incubation (37 degrees C) but remained cons tant during the next 48 h. Similarly, when concentrations of SL and E were held constant at 150 ppm in the SLEB combination and the B ratio increased from 50 to 150 ppm in FTM, C. perfringens viability decreased in all of the treated samples during 72-h incubation at 37 degrees C. The results indica ted that SLEB was an effective inhibitor of C, perfringens growth activitie s, and the ratios of the components of SLEE can be adjusted to meet specifi c preservation needs. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science BN. All rights reserved.