In late 2002 the Chicago Tribune reported on Joliet, Illinois students
sickened by tainted chicken in their school lunches, and did follow up
reports in 2002 and 2003 about how the food became tainted (ammonia
leak in St Louis storage facility in 2001) and how the tainted food
made its way into schools.(Chicago Tribune, 12/11/2002, 4/27/2003) The
articles reported that the boxes of food that "reeked of ammonia" were
"repeatedly bombarded with sulfur and carbon dioxide." I think sulfur
occurs naturally as a solid. I would like to know: What are the
possible chemical reactions that would use sulfur, or a sulfur
compound, and carbon dioxide, to neutralize the odor and toxicity of
ammonia? Is this scientifically valid standard proceedure in the food
storage business, or wishful thinking?