Efficacy of oxonia active against selected spore formers

Alternatives to hydrogen peroxide are being sought for use in aseptic packaging systems because this sterilant is efficacious at temperatures higher than some of the newer packaging materials can tolerate. Earlier in this century, peracetic acid was known to be bactericidal, sporicidal, and virucidal but was not widely used because of handling, toxicity, and stability problems. Sanitizer suppliers have capitalized on the efficacy of hydrogen peroxide, acetic acid, and peracetic acid stabilized with a sequestering agent. Formulations have been improved and marketed as Oxonia Active, and its use as an alternative sterilant to hydrogen peroxide merits evaluation. Oxonia was assessed at a concentration of 2% and a temperature of 40 degrees C against a number of spore-forming organisms, including foodborne pathogens. Spores tested in aqueous suspension showed an order of sensitivity (least to greatest) to Oxonia as follows: Bacillus cereus > B. subtilis A > B. stearothermophilus > B. subtilis var. globigii > B. coagulans > Clostridium sporogenes (PA3679) > C. butyricum > C. botulinum type B (nonproteolytic) > C. botulinum type B (proteolytic) = C. botulinum type A = C. botulinum type E. B. subtilis A and B. stearothermophilus spores tested in the dry state were less sensitive to Oxonia than when tested in aqueous suspension. B. cereus, a foodborne pathogen, proved to be markedly less sensitive to Oxonia under the described test conditions. The decreased sensitivity to Oxonia by the foodborne pathogen B. cereus raises concern about the efficacy of the sterilant for aseptic packaging of low-acid foods. Further work will be needed to determine if this decreased sensitivity is an inherent property of the organism that affords unusual protection against Oxonia or if the challenge parameters selected were at the minimum conditions for efficacy.