The effect of iron on botulinal inhibition in perishable canned cured meat

Summary Iron is critical to the inhibition of Cl. botulinum in perishable canned cured meat. An excess of ‘available’ iron negates the inhibitory effect of nitrite. A hypothesis for the mechanism of nitrite inhibition which is compatible with existing information is that nitric oxide reacts with an essential iron containing compound within the germinated botulinal cell and prevents outgrowth.