Gk. Kemp et Kr. Schneider, Validation of thiosulfate for neutralization of acidified sodium chlorite in microbiological testing, POULTRY SCI, 79(12), 2000, pp. 1857-1860
At low pH, acidified sodium chlorite (ASC) has antimicrobial activity again
st a variety of foodborne contaminants. To evaluate the antimicrobial effic
acy of ASC at specific time points posttreatment, it is necessary to halt t
he action of the disinfectant by removing residual chlorite or by increasin
g the pH. In this study, thiosulfate was investigated at varying concentrat
ions for its effect on microbial survival and was investigated at a concent
ration of 0.1% in the presence of ASC for its effect on the antimicrobial a
nd chemical activity of the test solution. Additionally, sodium thiosulfate
was tested in two buffering systems, buffered peptone water (BPW) and Butt
erfield's phopshate buffer (BPB), for its ability to inactivate ASC chemist
ry.
The results of this study show that, at a concentration of 0.1%, sodium thi
osulfate has no deleterious effect on Escherichia roll survival and is effe
ctive in halting the antimicrobial action of ASC by eliminating the product
ion of residual chlorite. The BPW alone and BPB in combination with thiosul
fate were found to be effective inactivators of ASC chemistry.