Botulism and nitrites in veggies

[ssorllih]

We should all be aware of the botulism inhibiting effects of nitrites in smoked meat. Clostriduim Botulinium grows in the absence of oxygen and at temperatures comfortable for people. The most famous example was in some sauted onions held on the back of a grill at a celebration somewhere.
This brings me to a question; Could a knowledgeable person add 50 to 80 PPM sodium nitrite to foods like that and achieve the safety that was needed?
And another question in the same vein Do foods naturally high in nitirtes/nitrates ever grow Clostridium?

[Chuckwagon]

Ross, you asked:

Could a knowledgeable person add 50 to 80 PPM sodium nitrite to foods like that and achieve the safety that was needed?

No, sodium nitrite should never be added to fresh food such as onions on a grill, as it would produce no beneficial effect. Sodium nitrite must be further reduced to nitric oxide (not to be confused with nitrous oxide) in order to prevent the insidious effects of the clostridium botulinum spores. It is interesting to note that as nitrite reacts with oxygen, additional nitrate is created which also must subsequently be broken down into nitrite by micrococcaceae (Kocuria) bacteria.
You also asked:

Do foods naturally high in nitirtes/nitrates ever grow Clostridium?

Many vegetables contain high amounts of nitrates and all are just as exposed and susceptible to the clostridium botulinum bacterium as any other food. Further, foods naturally high in nitrates do not carry "instant protection" because of the need for nitrate to be reduced to nitrite, then again to nitric oxide. This process is carried out by bacterial strains from the micrococcaceae family - especially the strains staphyloccus and micrococcus (now called Kocuria).

Clostridium botulinum is an obligate anaerobe meaning that oxygen is poisonous to its cells. However, due to the enzyme superoxide dismutase, its cells tolerate small traces of oxygen. Although it can only reproduce in an anaerobic environment, when it does, it produces the deadliest poison known to man. Botulinal toxin is 500,000 times more toxic than cyanide - the stuff they use in a gas chamber!

Botulinal spores are extremely persistent and will survive heating up to 250°F. (121°C), freezing, smoking, and drying. It often survives cooking. Worse, in contaminated food, there is no foreign taste or odor. Ideal temperatures and conditions for growth are 70° - 95° F. (20° - 35° C.) in an atmosphere of no oxygen, pH above 5, and salinity below 10%... conditions not unlike those found in cured sausages! Ingested, one millionth of a gram will send a cowboy to that great golden corral in the sky!

In non-cooked fermented sausages, the microorganism must be destroyed using a combination of salt, a drop beyond 5.0 pH, and a minimum drop in Aw water activity to 0.97 or less. Placing fresh vegetables or un-sterilized (garden fresh) spices into sausage is not recommended as botulinum spores are not uncommon on leafy herbs, peppers, beans, chilies, and corn. Cut off from oxygen by being stuffed into casings and placed into a smoker, the smoking temperatures are ideal for bacteria growth. The risk using fresh garlic is less, but cases of botulism poisoning have been reported after people have eaten home-canned garlic cloves in oil - the ideal environment for anaerobic bacterial growth!

So, ol' friend, eat lots of brocolli... but do not sprinkle it with sodium nitrite!

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon

[ssorllih]

Chuckwagon, Thank you for a detail scholarly explanation. Much better than a simple "nope, won't work".