Differentiation of lactate-fermenting, gas-producing Clostridium spp. isolated from milk

Colorimetric Point-of-Care Detection of Clostridium tyrobutyricum Spores in Milk Samples

Clostridium tyrobutyricum represents the main spoiling agent responsible for late blowing defects (LBD) in hard and semi-hard cheeses. Its spores are resistant to manufacturing procedures and can germinate during the long ripening process, causing the burst of the cheese paste with a consequent undesirable taste. The lower quality of blown cheeses leads to considerable financial losses for the producers. The early identification of spore contaminations in raw milk samples thus assumes a pivotal role in industrial quality control. Herein, we developed a point of care (POC) testing method for the sensitive detection of C. tyrobutyricum in milk samples, combining fast DNA extraction (with no purification steps) with a robust colorimetric loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) technique. Our approach allows for the sensitive and specific detection of C. tyrobutyricum spores (limit of detection, LoD: ~2 spores/mL), with the advantage of a clear naked-eye visualization of the results and a potential semi-quantitative discrimination of the contamination level. In addition, we demonstrated the feasibility of this strategy using a portable battery-operated device that allowed both DNA extraction and amplification steps, proving its potential for on-site quality control applications without the requirement of sophisticated instrumentation and trained personnel.

Lactate Metabolism and Microbiome Composition Are Affected by Nitrogen Gas Supply in Continuous Lactate-Based Chain Elongation

Chain elongation reactor microbiomes produce valuable medium-chain carboxylates (MCC) from non-sterile residual substrates where lactate is a relevant intermediate. Gas supply has been shown to impact chain elongation performance. In the present study, the effect of nitrogen gas (N2) supply on lactate metabolism, conversion rates, biomass growth, and microbiome composition was evaluated in a lactate-fed upflow anaerobic reactor with continuous or intermittent N2 gas supply. Successful MCC production was achieved with continuous N2 gas supply at low superficial gas velocities (SGV) of 0.22 m∙h−1. Supplying N2 at high SGV (>2 m∙h−1) either continuously (2.2 m∙h−1) or intermittently (3.6 m∙h−1) disrupted chain elongation, resulting in production of short-chain carboxylates (SCC), i.e., acetate, propionate, and n-butyrate. Caproiciproducens-dominated chain-elongating microbiomes enriched at low SGV were washed out at high SGV where Clostridium tyrobutyricum-dominated microbiomes thrived, by displaying higher lactate consumption rates. Suspended growth seemed to be dominant regardless of SGV and gas supply regime applied with no measurable sludge bed formed. The highest MCC production from lactate of 10 g COD∙L−1∙d−1 with electron selectivities of 72 ± 5%was obtained without N2 gas supply at a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 1 day. The addition of 5 g∙L−1 of propionate did not inhibit chain elongation, but rather boosted lactate conversion rates towards MCC with n-heptylate reaching 1.8 g COD∙L−1∙d−1. N2 gas supply can be used for mixing purposes and to steer lactate metabolism to MCC or SCC production.

Mildly acidic pH selects for chain elongation to caproic acid over alternative pathways during lactic acid fermentation

Carbohydrate-rich waste streams can be used for bioproduction of medium-chain carboxylic acids (MCCA) such as caproic acid. The carbohydrates in these streams can be converted to lactic acid as the initial fermentation product, which can then be fermented to MCCA by chain elongation. In this process, chain elongators compete for lactic acid with other bacterial groups that, for instance, ferment lactic acid to propionic and acetic acid. Understanding the drivers that control the competition between these two pathways is essential to maximizing MCCA production. This study aimed to investigate the competition between chain elongating and propionic acid producing organisms as a function of operational pH. Operation of long-term lactic acid fermenting reactors with varying pH values showed that pH values above 6 resulted in a propionic acid producing community dominated by Veillonella and Aminobacterium. At pH values below 6, the community moved towards chain elongation, with communities dominated by Caproiciproducens. Short-term incubations showed that rates of lactic acid consumption were strongly reduced at pH below 6 (7.7 ± 1.2 mM lactic acid·h^-1 at pH 6.5; 0.74 ± 0.33 mM lactic acid·h^-1 at pH 5.5). Similar to observations in long-term reactors, when a chain elongating community adapted to pH 5.5 was used for short-term incubations at pH 6.5, propionic acid was the dominant product. The results of this study show that pH below 6 stimulate lactic acid chain elongators through kinetic effects, and potentially improved energetics, providing a tool for microbial management of MCCA-producing systems.

Characterization of Clostridium tyrobutyricum Strains Using Three Different Typing Techniques

Clostridium tyrobutyricum is well known as one of the main causative agents of severe cheese spoilage. The metabolism of this anaerobic bacterium during ripening leads to textural and sensory defects in cheese and consequential loss of product value. The potential to induce cheese spoilage, however, may vary among different strains of the same species. Therefore, a better understanding of the intra-species diversity of C. tyrobutyricum may be of practical relevance for the dairy industry. In the present study, we compared the ability of three typing techniques to differentiate 95 C. tyrobutyricum strains on the subspecies level: (1) repetitive element palindromic PCR (rep-PCR) fingerprinting combined with conventional agarose gel electrophoresis, (2) hexaplex-PCR followed by an automated capillary electrophoresis and (3) matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) typing. MALDI-TOF MS fingerprinting provided only moderate reproducibility and low discriminatory power. Both PCR-based methods were highly reproducible and discriminative, with hexaplex-PCR fingerprinting being slightly more discriminative than rep-PCR typing. Overall, a high intra-species diversity was observed among the tested strains, indicating that further investigations on the strain level may be of interest.

Short communication: Clostridial spore counts in vat milk of Alpine dairies

One of the most severe quality defects in hard and semi-hard cheese, the late blowing defect, is caused by endospore-forming bacteria of the genus Clostridium. To minimize financial losses and waste of resources due to cheese spoilage, raw milk with elevated clostridial spore counts should not be used for the production of certain cheese types. In this context, threshold values of clostridial spore concentrations that cause quality defects in cheese are still under debate. To improve our understanding about late blowing defects, further information on the correlation between clostridial spore concentrations in milk and cheese quality is indispensable. Thus, the aim of this study was to monitor the microbiological quality of milk used for Alpine cheese production regarding clostridial endospore levels to facilitate the establishment of threshold spore concentrations that guarantee the absence of quality defects in Austrian cheese. For this purpose, we monitored clostridial endospore levels in vat milk of 4 Alpine dairies throughout the summer grazing period in 2018. Surprisingly, we observed almost complete absence of butyric acid-producing clostridia in milk and no blowing defects in cheese. Hence, critical clostridial spore concentrations could not be verified. Moreover, the observed low spore levels reveal that the prohibition of silage feeding and good farming practices effectively minimize clostridial endospore counts in milk and ensure the manufacture of high-quality cheese even if technological possibilities are limited.

Multilocus variable-number of tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) for Clostridium tyrobutyricum strains isolated from cheese production environment

Clostridium tyrobutyricum is a gram-positive spore-forming anaerobe that is considered as the main causative agent for late blowing in cheese due to butyric acid fermentation. In this study, multilocus variable-number of tandem repeat (VNTR) analysis (MLVA) for C. tyrobutyricum was developed to identify the source of contamination by C. tyrobutyricum spores in the cheese production environment. For each contig constructed from the results of a whole genome draft sequence of C. tyrobutyricum JCM11008(T) based on next-generation sequencing, VNTR loci that were effective for typing were searched using the Tandem Repeat Finder program. Five VNTR loci were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to determine their number of repeats by sequencing, and MLVA was conducted. 25 strains of C. tyrobutyricum isolated from the environment, raw milk, and silage were classified into 18 MLVA types (DI=0.963). Of the C. tyrobutyricum strains isolated from raw milk, natural cheese, and blown processed cheese, strains with identical MLVA type were detected, which suggested that these strains might have shifted from natural cheese to blown processed cheese. MLVA could be an effective tool for monitoring contamination of natural cheese with C. tyrobutyricum in the processed cheese production environment because of its high discriminability, thereby allowing the analyst to trace the source of contamination.

Incidence, diversity and characteristics of spores of psychrotolerant spore formers in various REPFEDS produced in Belgium

The major objectives of this study were to determine the incidence of psychrotolerant spore formers from REPFEDS marketed in Belgium, and their diversity and characteristics. Spore formers in general were found as spores on 38.3% of the food samples and in 85% food products types evaluated. 76% of the food samples containing spore formers had spores before enrichment. A total of 86 spore formers were isolated from the samples. 28 of 86 bacterial spore formers (32.6%) were capable of vegetative growth at 7 °C. 96% (27/28) of these psychrotolerant spore formers were determined to belong to Bacillus or related genera. According to a (GTG)5-PCR analysis, 24 of these 28 isolates were genetically distinct from each other. 10.7% (3/28) of the bacilli were determined to belong to the Bacillus cereus group, namely B. cereus (chicken curry and Edam cheese) and Bacillus mycoides (Emmental cheese). Almost half of the bacilli (12/27) were putatively identified as Bacillus pumilus, which occurs ubiquitously in nature and has been associated with outbreaks of foodborne disease. Only one psychrotolerant clostridium, Clostridium tyrobutyricum, was isolated in the study. The results of this study show the highly diverse ecology and spoilage potential of psychrotolerant spore formers in REPFEDs marketed in Belgium.

Detection of Clostridium tyrobutyricum in milk to prevent late blowing in cheese by automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis

Clostridium tyrobutyricum has been identified as the main causal agent of the late blowing defect in cheese, with major effects on quality and commercial value. In this work, for the first time, we applied automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis (ARISA) approach to diagnose the presence of C. tyrobutyricum in raw milk before cheesemaking. A species-specific primer set was designed and used for this original application of the ARISA. Sensitivity of detection, reproducibility of the fluorescent PCR assay, and repeatability of the capillary electrophoretic analysis of amplicons were evaluated using DNA extracted from milk added with known amounts of C. tyrobutyricum genome copies, ranging from 3 × 10(6) to 3. Results indicated that the sensitivity of the technique permits to detect the bacterium in all the samples. The reproducibility, evaluated by analyzing 3 sets of serial dilutions, resulted satisfactory, with little deviation within PCR reactions amplifying the same starting amount of template (standard deviations ≤ 0.1, coefficients of variation ≤ 3%). The peaks' fluorescence displayed an evident correspondence with the number of genome copies contained in each dilution. The capillary electrophoretic analysis, tested by running a single PCR product per dilution point in 10 repeats, resulted efficient and highly repeatable, with excellent coefficients of variation ≤ 2% and standard deviations ≤ 0.1 in all the sample sets. This application of ARISA gives good estimates of the total C. tyrobutyricum DNA content allowing a specific, fine-scale resolution of this pollutant species in a complex system as milk. A further advantage linked to the automatization of the process.

Draft Genome Sequence of Clostridium tyrobutyricum Strain UC7086, Isolated from Grana Padano Cheese with Late-Blowing Defect

Clostridium tyrobutyricum is considered the main agent of late-blowing defect in the production of hard cheese. Here, we described the draft genome sequences and annotation of C. tyrobutyricum strain UC7086, which was isolated from Grana Padano cheese with blowing defect, and C. tyrobutyricum DSM 2637 type strain in a comparative study.

Clostridium tyrobutyricum strains show wide variation in growth at different NaCl, pH, and temperature conditions

Outgrowth from Clostridium tyrobutyricum spores in milk can lead to butyric acid fermentation in cheeses, causing spoilage and economical loss to the dairy industry. The aim of this study was to investigate the growth of 10 C. tyrobutyricum strains at different NaCl, pH, and temperature conditions. Up to 7.5-fold differences among the maximum growth rates of different strains in the presence of 2.0% NaCl were observed. Five of 10 strains were able to grow in the presence of 3.0% NaCl, while a NaCl concentration of 3.5% was completely inhibitory to all strains. Seven of 10 strains were able to grow at pH 5.0, and up to 4- and 12.5-fold differences were observed among the maximum growth rates of different strains at pH 5.5 and 7.5, respectively. The maximum growth temperatures varied from 40.2 to 43.3°C. The temperature of 10°C inhibited the growth of all strains, while 8 of 10 strains grew at 12 and 15°C. Despite showing no growth, all strains were able to survive at 10°C. In conclusion, wide variation was observed among different C. tyrobutyricum strains in their ability to grow at different stressful conditions. Understanding the physiological diversity among the strains is important when designing food control measures and predictive models for the growth of spoilage organisms in cheese.

Identification ofClostridium beijerinckii, Cl. butyricum, Cl. sporogenes, Cl. tyrobutyricumisolated from silage, raw milk and hard cheese by a multiplex PCR assay

Late blowing, caused by the outgrowth of clostridial spores present in raw milk and originating from silage, can create considerable product loss, especially in the production of hard and semi-hard cheeses. The conventional method for the isolation ofClostridiumspp. from cheeses with late-blowing symptoms is very complicated and the identification of isolates is problematic. The aim of this work was the development of a multiplex PCR method for the detection of the main dairy-related clostridia such as:Cl. beijerinckii, Cl. butyricum, Cl. sporogenes, Cl. tyrobutyricum.Samples derived from silage, raw milk and hard cheese were analysed by the most probable number (MPN) enumeration. Forty-four bacterial strains isolated from gas positive tubes were used to check the reliability of the multiplex PCR assay. The specificity of the primers was tested by individually analysing each primer pair and the primer pair combined in the multiplex PCR. It was interesting to note that the samples not identified by the multiplex PCR assay were amplified by V2–V3 16S rRNA primer pair and the sequencing revealed the aligned 16S rRNA sequences to bePaenibacillusandBacillusspp. This new molecular assay provides a simple promising alternative to traditional microbiological methods for a rapid, sensitive detection of clostridia in dairy products.

Genomic sequence and characterization of the virulent bacteriophage phiCTP1 from Clostridium tyrobutyricum and heterologous expression of its endolysin

The growth of Clostridium tyrobutyricum in developing cheese leads to spoilage and cheese blowing. Bacteriophages or their specific lytic enzymes may provide a biological control method for eliminating such undesirable organisms without affecting other microflora. We isolated the virulent bacteriophage phiCTP1 belonging to the Siphoviridae and have shown that it is effective in causing lysis of sensitive strains. The double-stranded DNA genome of phiCTP1 is 59,199 bp, and sequence analysis indicated that it has 86 open reading frames. orf29 was identified as the gene coding for the phage endolysin responsible for cell wall degradation prior to virion release. We cloned and expressed the ctp1l gene in E. coli and demonstrated that the partially purified protein induced lysis of C. tyrobutyricum cells and reduced viable counts both in buffer and in milk. The endolysin was inactive against a range of clostridial species but did show lysis of Clostridium sporogenes, another potential spoilage organism. Removal of the C-terminal portion of the endolysin completely abolished lytic activity.

Physiological and transcriptional response of Lactobacillus casei ATCC 334 to acid stress

This study investigated features of the acid tolerance response (ATR) in Lactobacillus casei ATCC 334. To optimize ATR induction, cells were acid adapted for 10 or 20 min at different pH values (range, 3.0 to 5.0) and then acid challenged at pH 2.0. Adaptation over a broad range of pHs improved acid tolerance, but the highest survival was noted in cells acid adapted for 10 or 20 min at pH 4.5. Analysis of cytoplasmic membrane fatty acids (CMFAs) in acid-adapted cells showed that they had significantly (P < 0.05) higher total percentages of saturated and cyclopropane fatty acids than did control cells. Specifically, large increases in the percentages of C(14:0), C(16:1n(9)), C(16:0), and C(19:0(11c)) were noted in the CMFAs of acid-adapted and acid-adapted, acid-challenged cells, while C(18:1n(9)) and C(18:1n(11)) showed the greatest decrease. Comparison of the transcriptome from control cells (grown at pH 6.0) against that from cells acid adapted for 20 min at pH 4.5 indicated that acid adaption invoked a stringent-type response that was accompanied by other functions which likely helped these cells resist acid damage, including malolactic fermentation and intracellular accumulation of His. Validation of microarray data was provided by experiments that showed that L. casei survival at pH 2.5 was improved at least 100-fold by chemical induction of the stringent response or by the addition of 30 mM malate or 30 mM histidine to the acid challenge medium. To our knowledge, this is the first report that intracellular histidine accumulation may be involved in bacterial acid resistance.

Quantitative detection of Clostridium tyrobutyricum in milk by real-time PCR

We developed a real-time PCR assay for the quantitative detection of Clostridium tyrobutyricum, which has been identified as the major causal agent of late blowing in cheese. The assay was 100% specific, with an analytical sensitivity of 1 genome equivalent in 40% of the reactions. The quantification was linear (R(2) > 0.9995) over a 5-log dynamic range, down to 10 genome equivalents, with a PCR efficiency of >0.946. With optimized detergent treatment and enzymatic pretreatment of the sample before centrifugation and nucleic acid extraction, the assay counted down to 300 C. tyrobutyricum spores, with a relative accuracy of 82.98 to 107.68, and detected as few as 25 spores in 25 ml of artificially contaminated raw or ultrahigh-temperature-treated whole milk.

Contribution of C. beijerinckii and C. sporogenes in association with C. tyrobutyricum to the butyric fermentation in Emmental type cheese

The relationship between C. tyrobutyricum, C. sporogenes and C. beijerinckii in experimental cheese conditions, and their influences on late-blowing and butyric fermentation, have been investigated. A molecular approach using a PCR-TTGE method in combination with conventional methods, such as microbiological and physico-chemical analysis, was performed to monitor the evolution of these clostridial species, simultaneously with the occurrence of cheese defects. Sixteen Emmental type cheeses were produced from milk inoculated with different clostridial spore associations. In all cheeses inoculated with C. tyrobutyricum, obvious signs of late blowing were detected. In cheeses inoculated with C. beijerinckii or C. sporogenes, a formation of holes in cheese body was observed, with a concomitant slight amount of butyric acid production. Even though C. beijerinckii and C. sporogenes were less metabolically active and less numerically important than C. tyrobutyricum in cheese as shown by TTGE profiles, the association of these species to C. tyrobutyricum enhanced the butyric fermentation and the cheese defects. The level of butyric content in ripened cheese increased to 268 mg 100 g(-1) in presence of C. tyrobutyricum, and reached a maximum of 414 mg 100 g(-1) in presence of the C. beijerinckii-C. tyrobutyricum (1:10) association. The propionic fermentation was also higher in cheese inoculated with C. tyrobutyricum, and was slowed down in presence of C. beijerinckii and C. sporogenes. From 30 days of ripening, a strong correlation between the chemical contents and the intensity of cheese defects was demonstrated. A chemical analysis of cheese associated with a molecular method for microbial spoilage investigation allows the prediction of the level of late blowing at early stages of ripening, and the understanding of the origin of the defect.

Characterization of Clostridium spp. isolated from spoiled processed cheese products

Of 42 spoiled cheese spread products, 35 were found to harbor Clostridium spp. Typical signs of spoilage were gas production and off-odor. The identity was determined for about half of the isolates (n = 124) by Analytab Products (API), Biolog, the RiboPrinter System, 16S rDNA sequencing, cellular fatty acid analysis, or some combination of these. The majority of isolates were identified as Clostridium sporogenes (in 33% of products), but Clostridium cochlearium (in 12% of products) and Clostridium tyrobutyricum (in 2% of products) were also retrieved. Similarity analysis of the riboprint patterns for 21 isolates resulted in the identification of 10 ribogroups. A high degree of relatedness was observed between isolates of C. sporogenes originating from products produced 3 years apart, indicating a common and, over time, persistent source of infection. The spoilage potential of 11 well-characterized isolates and two culture collection strains was analyzed by inoculating shrimp cheese spread with single cultures and then storing them at 37 degrees C. Tubes inoculated with C. tyrobutyricum did not show any visible signs of growth (e.g., coagulation, discoloration, gas formation) in the cheese spread. After 2 weeks of incubation, tubes inoculated with C. cochlearium or C. sporogenes showed gas-holes, syneresis with separation of coagulated casein and liquid, and a change in color of the cheese. The amount of CO2 produced by C. cochlearium strains was approximately one-third that produced by the majority of C. sporogenes strains. To our knowledge, this is the first study to isolate and identify C. cochlearium as a spoilage organism in cheese spread.

Development and validation of PCR primers to assess the diversity of Clostridium spp. in cheese by temporal temperature gradient gel electrophoresis

A nested-PCR temporal temperature gradient gel electrophoresis (TTGE) approach was developed for the detection of bacteria belonging to phylogenetic cluster I of the genus Clostridium (the largest clostridial group, which represents 25% of the currently cultured clostridial species) in cheese suspected of late blowing. Primers were designed based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence, and the specificity was confirmed in PCRs performed with DNAs from cluster I and non-cluster I species as the templates. TTGE profiles of the PCR products, comprising the V5-V6 region of the 16S rRNA gene, allowed us to distinguish the majority of cluster I species. PCR-TTGE was applied to analyze commercial cheeses with defects. All cheeses gave a signal after nested PCR, and on the basis of band comigration with TTGE profiles of reference strains, all the bands could be assigned to a clostridial species. The direct identification of Clostridium spp. was confirmed by sequencing of excised bands. C. tyrobutyricum and C. beijerinckii contaminated 15 and 14 of the 20 cheese samples tested, respectively, and C. butyricum and C. sporogenes were detected in one cheese sample. Most-probable-number counts and volatile fatty acid were determined for comparison purposes. Results obtained were in agreement, but only two species, C. tyrobutyricum and C. sporogenes, could be isolated by the plating method. In all cheeses with a high amount of butyric acid (>100 mg/100 g), the presence of C. tyrobutyricum DNA was confirmed by PCR-TTGE, suggesting the involvement of this species in butyric acid fermentation. These results demonstrated the efficacy of the PCR-TTGE method to identify Clostridium in cheeses. The sensitivity of the method was estimated to be 100 CFU/g.

Prevalence of Clostridium species and behaviour of Clostridium botulinum in gnocchi, a REPFED of italian origin

Sales and consumption of refrigerated processed foods of extended durability (REPFEDs) have increased many-fold in Europe over the last 10 years. The safety and quality of these convenient ready-to-eat foods relies on a combination of mild heat treatment and refrigerated storage, sometimes in combination with other hurdles such as mild preservative factors. The major hazard to the microbiological safety of these foods is Clostridium botulinum. This paper reports on the prevalence and behaviour of proteolytic C. botulinum and non-proteolytic C. botulinum in gnocchi, a potato-based REPFED of Italian origin. Attempts to isolate proteolytic C. botulinum and non-proteolytic C. botulinum from gnocchi and its ingredients were unsuccessful. Based on assessment of the adequacy of the methods used, it was estimated that for proteolytic C. botulinum there was < 25 spores/kg of gnocchi and < 70 spores/kg of ingredients. The total anaerobic microbial load of gnocchi and its ingredients was low, with an estimated 1 MPN/g in processed gnocchi. Most of the anaerobic flora was facultatively anaerobic. A few obligately anaerobic bacteria were isolated from gnocchi and its ingredients and belonged to different Clostridium species. The protection factor, number of decimal reductions in the probability of toxigenesis from a single spore, was determined for eight different gnocchi formulations by challenge test studies. For all gnocchi stored at 8 degrees C (as recommended by the manufacturer) or 12 degrees C (mild temperature abuse), growth and toxin production were not detected in 75 days. The protection factor was >4.2 for proteolytic C. botulinum, and >6.2 for non-proteolytic C. botulinum. When inoculated packs were stored at 20 degrees C (severe temperature abuse), toxin production in 75 days was prevented by the inclusion of 0.09% (w/w) sorbic acid (protection factors as above), however in the absence of sorbic acid the packs became toxic before the end of the intended shelf-life and the protection factors were lower. Providing sorbic acid (0.09% w/w) is included in the gnocchi, the safety margin would seem to be very large with respect to the foodborne botulism hazard.

The late blowing in cheese: a new molecular approach based on PCR and DGGE to study the microbial ecology of the alteration process

A molecular biology method based on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) was developed to detect Clostridium spp. in cheese samples suspected of late blowing. Strains of Clostridium spp. and different Lactic Acid Bacteria species, obtained from international collections, were used to determine the experimental conditions for the PCR amplification and DGGE differentiation. DNA extracted directly from cheeses with late blowing symptoms was subjected to PCR and DGGE analysis and traditional agar plating was performed for samples pasteurized and enriched overnight. Moreover, volatile fatty acids were determined for comparison purposes. The PCR-DGGE results were in agreement with the plating performed, and only samples presenting DGGE bands migrating at the same position as Clostridium spp. bands, showed the presence of Clostridium colonies on Reinforced Clostridial Medium plates. Butyric acid contents were high (>100 mg/kg) in the cases of positive DGGE results, underlining the suitability of the protocol for the study of cheese spoilage. The sensitivity of the method is estimated to be 10(4) CFU/g.

Differentiation of Enterococcus spp. by cell membrane fatty acid methyl ester profiling, biotyping and ribotyping

AIMS

Gas chromatographic analysis of cell membrane fatty acid methyl esters (FAME), biochemical profiling (biotyping) and EcoRI restriction endonuclease profiling of DNA containing ribosomal RNA sequences (ribotyping) were compared for differentiation of Enterococcus spp.

METHODS AND RESULTS

FAME profiling, biotype profiling and ribotyping of 41 strains from retail Swiss-type cheeses and five strains from culture collections resulted in 17, 25 and 26 groups, respectively, with only two pairs of strains having the same FAME group, biotype profile and ribogroup.

CONCLUSION

Substantial overlap occurred in groupings assigned by the three methods.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

Differentiation of Enterococcus spp. strains increases if multiple methods are used.

Influence of milk centrifugation, brining and ripening conditions in preventing gas formation by Clostridium spp. in Gouda cheese

This study examined milk centrifugation, increased salt concentration, and low ripening temperature as potential strategies to prevent late blowing caused by gas-forming Clostridium spp. in Gouda cheese. The survival of clostridia spores in cheese brine and their ability to enter Gouda cheese during brining was also evaluated. Centrifugation (3000 x g for 30 s) of contaminated milk resulted in > 60% spore reduction, with increased spore reduction at greater centrifugal forces. Low levels of C. tyrobutyricum and C. sporogenes spores survived in saturated (23%, w/v) brine with 2% (v/v) added whey at 15 degrees C for 63 days, while C. beijerinckii and C. butyricum spores were not detectable on days 4 and 35, respectively. Spores of C. tyrobutyricum in brine infiltrated Gouda cheese during 2 h of brining at 13 degrees C resulted in production of small gas holes during ripening. In Gouda cheese slurry stored at 13 degrees C, three C. tyrobutyricum strains plus one of three C. sporogenes strains germinated in the slurry with no added salt. Of three C. tyrobutyricum strains stored at 13 degrees C in slurries with higher water-phase salt concentrations of 2.4 and 3.6%, two strains and one strain germinated, respectively. No germination of spores was detected in any cheese slurry stored at 5 or 8 degrees C. Milk centrifugation, increased percent water-phase salt, absence of spores in brine, and decreased ripening temperature are all potentially important measures against gas production by Clostridium spp. in Gouda cheese.