Observations on the Sporicidal Action of Vegetable Oils Used in Fish Canning

Summary. The putrefactive anaerobe PA3679 was used to investigate possible factors present in vegetable oil which might influence the heat resistance of bacterial spores present in processed tuna fish. A water soluble component of some olive and groundnut oils significantly reduced the heat resistance of spores of this organism. Autoxidation factors in vegetable oils are suggested as the sporicidal or sporistatic agents. Attempts to identify the factor with malonaldehyde were not successful but there was some evidence that a similar carbonyl or its peroxide precursor might be involved.