"Occurrence of red halophilic organisms in solar salt and the "Reddening" reproduction on "Charque", salted hides and salted fish"

Abstract

The author studies bacteriologically 90 samples of different grades of industrial solar salt and also 5 samples of refined table salt, in order to know the extension of the occurrence of chromogenic halophilic organisms in these products. The percent of contamination of the different grades of salt was high (82 out of 95 samples). The occurrence of this kind of organisms in industrial solar salt is almost a common fact but the finding of the same kind of bacteria in refined salt is not a normal one because according to the sanitary regulations this grade of salt must be sterilized and do not contain bacteria, mainly halophils, which are thermolabil organisms being killed in 5 minutes at 65 °C. From the 82 halophils isolated from 95 samples of salt, only 64 were included in the genus Halobacterium but no species were determined due to the peculiar difficulties in studying these bacteria and also to the insufficient number or tests and sharp differential characteristics for a more reliable classification. The interpretation of the biochemical tests and the morphological findings is also difficult (ex: motility, slow motility and no motility)- It seems to us that there is no sufficient reason for the existence of 5 species of Halobacterium because the difference between species is very fault of sufficient sharp biochemical and morphological characteristics. From the cultures isolated from salt, 80 were reproduced on the surface of different salted protein products ( hides, fish, meat) and 2 failed to do so. The growth on the salted products is less luxurious and has not so a bad smell and color shade as compared to naturally infected products. The best material for the reproduction test of ‘reddening’ were the salted hide pieces. We do not know yet the reason of that fact. There exists the opinion between technicians and industry men that the stocking of marine salt eliminates many chemical and also bacterial contaminants from the salt. In order to test this point, we reexamined 40 positive samples of salt after holding them for about 36 months in laboratory conditions. After that long time, only one of the samples was negative for halophils and the remainder 39 were still positive. This experience proves that stocking of solar salt is not sufficient for the destruction of the red halophils which are the causing agents of “reddening” of salted protein products.