title: Anaerobic sporeformers and their significance with respect to milk and dairy products.
abstract: Sporeforming bacteria are a significant concern for the international dairy industry. Spores present in milk survive heat treatments and can persist during downstream processing. If they are present in sufficient numbers in dairy products they can cause spoilage or lead to illness as a result of toxin production. While many reviews have highlighted the threat posed by spores of aerobic bacteria to the dairy industry, few have focused on problems caused by the array of different species of anaerobic sporeformers (Clostridium and related genera) that can be found in milk. This is despite of the fact that members of these bacteria are found throughout the dairy farm environment, and can be toxigenic, neurotoxigenic or spoilage bacteria. This makes the possible presence of Clostridium and related spores in bulk tank milk (BTM) important from both a financial and a public health perspective. In this review dairy associated anaerobic sporeformers are assessed from a number of perspectives. This includes the taxonomy of this group of bacteria, the important subgroup of this genus the "sulphite reducing clostridia" (SRC), how these bacteria are detected in milk products, the epidemiological data regarding pathogenic species and strains within the SRC group as well as the influence of farming practices on the presence of SRC in BTM.
authors.affiliation: Food Bioscience Department, Teagasc Food Research Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy, Cork, Ireland; School of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
authors.forename: Conor J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Doyle
authors.affiliation: Teagasc Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy, Cork, Ireland.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gleeson
authors.affiliation: Food Safety Department, Teagasc Food Research Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy, Cork, Ireland.
authors.forename: Kieran
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jordan
authors.affiliation: Food Bioscience Department, Teagasc Food Research Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy, Cork, Ireland.
authors.forename: Tom P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Beresford
authors.affiliation: Food Bioscience Department, Teagasc Food Research Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy, Cork, Ireland; Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre, Cork, Ireland.
authors.forename: R Paul
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Ross
authors.affiliation: School of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre, Cork, Ireland.
authors.forename: Gerald F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Fitzgerald
authors.affiliation: Food Bioscience Department, Teagasc Food Research Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy, Cork, Ireland; Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre, Cork, Ireland. Electronic address: paul.cotter@teagasc.ie.
authors.forename: Paul D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Cotter
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003013:Clostridium / Q000145:classification / Q000502:physiology*; D003015:Clostridium Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission; D003611:Dairy Products / Q000382:microbiology*; D003612:Dairying / Q000592:standards; D005516:Food Microbiology; D005517:Foodborne Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008892:Milk / Q000382:microbiology*; D011634:Public Health / Q000592:standards
keywords: Botulism; Clostridium; Milk; Pathogens; Spoilage; Spores