Chlorate reduces meat pathogens

摘要

Scientists with the agricultural research service of the US department of agriculture have reported that Salmonella and E. coli infections can be reduced at farm level by feeding the pigs a low dose of sodium chlorate. They say both Salmonella typhimurium and E. coli 0157:H7 have an enzyme that converts the sodium chlorate to chlorite and this then kills the bacteria. The treatment has no effect on beneficial micro-organisms lacking the same enzyme. In laboratory studies, 45 weaned pigs were inoculated with S. typhimurium before being fed 0.04 grams sodium chlorate per kilogram bodyweight. The number of pathogenic cells in the intestines showed a 150-fold reduction within 16 hours.