Potential uses of combined halogen disinfectants in poultry processing.

Five organic N-halamine compounds (combined halogen disinfectants) were compared for their bactericidal activities against Salmonella typhimurium under controlled pH and temperature. All five compounds were effective as bactericides in demand-free buffers ranging from pH 5.0 to 9.0 and treatment temperatures from 4 to 48 C. The range of contact times necessary for a 99.9999% inactivation of viable cells was from .22 to 29 min, depending on the halogen concentration, temperature, and pH of the demand-free buffer. Two of the compounds (3-chloro-4,4-dimethyl-2-oxazolidinone and 1,3-dichloro-4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-2-imidazolidinone) were found to have considerable promise in high-temperature applications, and a third compound (1-bromo-3-chloro-4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-2-imidazolidinone) was more suitable for low-temperature treatments.