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Updated: May 27, 2026
Assaying for Inorganic Polyphosphate in Bacteria
Published on: January 21, 2019
Phosphate analysis of natural sausage casings preserved in brines with phosphate additives as inactivating agent -
J J Wijnker1, J L M Tjeerdsma-van Bokhoven, E J A Veldhuizen
1Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Division Veterinary Public Health, University of Utrecht, P.O. Box 80.175, NL-3508 TD, The Netherlands; Van Hessen bv, P.O. Box 220, NL-2910 AE, Nieuwerkerk a/d IJssel, The Netherlands.
Abstract:
Certain phosphates have been identified as suitable additives for the improvement of the microbial and mechanical properties of processed natural sausage casings. When mixed with NaCl (sodium chloride) and used under specific treatment and storage conditions, these phosphates are found to prevent the spread of foot-and-mouth disease and classical swine fever via treated casings. The commercially available Quantichrom™ phosphate assay kit has been evaluated as to whether it can serve as a reliable and low-tech method for routine analysis of casings treated with phosphate. The outcome of this study indicates that this particular assay kit has sufficient sensitivity to qualitatively determine the presence of phosphate in treated casings without interference of naturally occurring phosphate in salt used for brines in which casings are preserved.
