Chemical preservatives in foodstuffs VI. The effect of silver ions on microbes, in particular on the flora of fresh fish

Authors

• Olavi E. Nikkilä The State Institute for Technical Research, Laboratory for Food Research and Technology, Otaniemi, Finland
• Alpo Siiriä The State Institute for Technical Research, Laboratory for Food Research and Technology, Otaniemi, Finland
• Jorma J. Laine The State Institute for Technical Research, Laboratory for Food Research and Technology, Otaniemi, Finland

DOI: https://doi.org/10.23986/afsci.71664

Abstract

A study has been made of the effect of silver ions upon microbes in water, in rinsing and washing experiments, and in the storage of fresh Baltic herring in ice containing silver ions. It was observed that silver ions were microbicidic in all experiments except in those with stored fish. Even in this case, silver ions were effective in killing bacteria when they were isolated and kept in an aqueous solution. In all the experiments the pure cultures were less resistant than the natural mixed cultures.