Aims: To characterize a psychrotrophic bacterium, designated TC1, previously isolated from a cattle hide in Ireland, and to investigate the ability of this strain to cause 'blown pack' spoilage (BPS) of vacuum-packaged beef primals.
Methods and results: TC1 was characterized using a combination of phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and genotypic analyses and was assessed for its ability to spoil vacuum-packaged beef at refrigerated temperatures. TC1 was Gram-positive and formed elliptical subterminal endospores. The strain was able to grow between 0 and 33 °C, with optimal growth between 23 and 24 °C. TC1 could be differentiated from its phylogenetically closest neighbour (Clostridium lituseburense DSM 797(T)) by 16S rRNA gene sequencing, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and cellular fatty acid composition. TC1 spoiled (BPS) beef within 42 days when inoculated in cold-stored (1 °C) vacuum-packed beef.
Conclusions: The phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and genotypic characterization indicated that TC1 may represent a potentially novel, cold-tolerant, gas-producing bacterium of considerable economic significance to the beef industry.
Significance and impact of the study: This study reports and characterizes an emerging BPS bacterium, which should be considered in future activities designed to minimize the psychrophilic and psychrotrophic spoilage of vacuum-packaged beef.
© 2012 The Society for Applied Microbiology.