Pathogen-inactivated red blood cell compositions

A composition comprising red blood cells produced by a method of reducing dehydration in a red blood cell composition wherein the composition is a mixture comprising (a) a quencher capable of reacting with a pathogen-inactivating compound, (b) about 0.5 to 1.5 equivalents of base, wherein an equivalent means a molar amount that is equivalent to the molar amount of quencher in the mixture, (c) red blood cells, and (d) a treatment solution or diluent solution;

• wherein the treatment solution or diluent solution comprises one or more of dextrose, adenine, mannitol, citrate, and citric acid;
• and wherein the red blood cell composition comprises between about 40 mM and 100 mM chloride ion;
• wherein the method of reducing dehydration in the red blood cell composition comprises replacing the solution in the mixture with a final additive solution, such that the concentration of the quencher in the mixture is decreased to less than about 10 mM;
• wherein the level of dehydration of the red blood cell composition is decreased relative to the level of dehydration of a red blood cell composition comprising (a), (c), (d), and 2.0 or greater equivalents of base and in which the solution in the mixture has not been replaced with a final additive solution.