Bell R G, De Lacy K M
J Appl Bacteriol. 1983 Dec;55(3):473-80. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2672.1983.tb01687.x.
Residual nitrite was lost from chub-packed luncheon meat during storage through both chemical breakdown and microbial consumption. The relative importance of these mechanisms in this pasteurized product was determined by the speed of development of the spoilage microflora, which is influenced by storage conditions. The nitrite half-life due to chemical loss was 13 d at 25 degrees C and 36 d at 10 degrees C. When microbial growth occurred these half-lives were reduced to 2.6 d and 21 d, respectively. Qualitative differences in the microflora that developed at these two temperatures (denitrifying Bacillus spp. at 25 degrees C and non-denitrifying Streptococcus spp. at 10 degrees C) account for the large temperature effect. Growth of Streptococcus spp. increased the rate of chemical nitrite loss in chubs by reducing the pH value. Nitrite did not inhibit the aerobic growth of either Bacillus or Streptococcus species associated with spoilage but did inhibit the anaerobic growth of Bacillus spp. This bacteriostatic effect of residual nitrite in anaerobic conditions will decrease during storage as nitrite level falls and oxygen penetrates the chub pack. Nitrite-mediated bacteriostasis does not obviate the need for refrigerated storage but does afford a real, if ephemeral, safeguard against spoilage occurring during short periods of temperature abuse.
在储存过程中，盒装午餐肉中的残留亚硝酸盐会通过化学分解和微生物消耗而损失。在这种巴氏杀菌产品中，这些机制的相对重要性取决于腐败微生物群落的发展速度，而这又受储存条件的影响。由于化学损失导致的亚硝酸盐半衰期在25℃时为13天，在10℃时为36天。当微生物生长发生时，这些半衰期分别降至2.6天和21天。在这两个温度下生长的微生物群落（25℃时为反硝化芽孢杆菌属，10℃时为非反硝化链球菌属）的定性差异解释了较大的温度效应。链球菌属的生长通过降低pH值提高了盒装肉中亚硝酸盐的化学损失速率。亚硝酸盐既不抑制与腐败相关的芽孢杆菌属或链球菌属的需氧生长，但确实抑制了芽孢杆菌属的厌氧生长。随着储存过程中亚硝酸盐水平下降且氧气渗入盒装包装，残留亚硝酸盐在厌氧条件下的这种抑菌作用将会减弱。亚硝酸盐介导的抑菌作用并不能消除冷藏储存的必要性，但确实能提供一种实际的（尽管是短暂的）保障，防止在短时间温度滥用期间发生腐败。
