Effect of nitrite and erythorbate on growth of Bacillus cereus in cooked sausage and in laboratory media.

Bacillus cereus spores were inoculated into sausage mass before cooking. The sausages were kept at 20 degrees C for 48 h before the bacteriological and physiochemical analyses were done. A combination of an addition of 200 mg/kg sodium nitrite and 500 mg/kh sodium erythorbate totally prevented the growth of two strains of B. cereus. Increasing the amount of erythorbate did not affect the antibacterial properties of the nitrite. The inhibitory effects of different combinations of the additives were also studied in laboratory media. Public health aspects of the use of nitrite and erythorbate as food-additives are discussed.