Methyl bromide as a microbicidal fumigant for tree nuts.

Methyl bromide (MeBr) has broad microbicidal activity, but its use as a disinfectant for food is limited by the resulting bromide residues. Increasing the MeBr concentration, exposure temperature, or exposure period of a treatment tended to increase both the microbicidal efficacy of MeBr and the bromide residues. Its sporicidal activity was less at high than at low relative humidity within the range of 20 to 99%. Both the efficacy and the resulting residues of a MeBr treatment varied inversely with the load of product in a fumigation chamber due to sorption of the fumigant. Fumigation tests with almond kernels inoculated with Escherichia coli or Salmonella typhimurium indicated that MeBr can be used to disinfect whole nut kernels without resulting in excessive bromide residues, although the MeBr level necessary is higher than that normally used for insect control.