title: Bacterial Spores in Food: Survival, Emergence, and Outgrowth.
abstract: Spore-forming bacteria are ubiquitous in nature. The resistance properties of bacterial spores lie at the heart of their widespread occurrence in food ingredients and foods. The efficacy of inactivation by food-processing conditions is largely determined by the characteristics of the different types of spores, whereas food composition and storage conditions determine the eventual germination and outgrowth of surviving spores. Here, we review the current knowledge on variation in spore resistance, in germination, and in the outgrowth capacity of spores relevant to foods. This includes novel findings on key parameters in spore survival and outgrowth obtained by gene-trait matching approaches using genome-sequenced Bacillus spp. food isolates, which represent notorious food spoilage and pathogenic species. Additionally, the impact of strain diversity on heat inactivation of spores and the variability therein is discussed. Knowledge and quantification of factors that influence variability can be applied to improve predictive models, ultimately supporting effective control of spore-forming bacteria in foods.
authors.affiliation: TI Food and Nutrition, 6700 AN Wageningen, The Netherlands.|NIZO Food Research, 6718 ZB Ede, The Netherlands; email: marjon.wells-bennik@nizo.com.
authors.forename: Marjon H J
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Wells-Bennik
authors.affiliation: TI Food and Nutrition, 6700 AN Wageningen, The Netherlands.|NIZO Food Research, 6718 ZB Ede, The Netherlands; email: marjon.wells-bennik@nizo.com.
authors.forename: Robyn T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Eijlander
authors.affiliation: TI Food and Nutrition, 6700 AN Wageningen, The Netherlands.|Laboratory of Food Microbiology, Wageningen University, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Heidy M W
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: den Besten
authors.affiliation: TI Food and Nutrition, 6700 AN Wageningen, The Netherlands.|NIZO Food Research, 6718 ZB Ede, The Netherlands; email: marjon.wells-bennik@nizo.com.|Molecular Genetics Department, University of Groningen, 9700 AB Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Erwin M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Berendsen
authors.affiliation: TI Food and Nutrition, 6700 AN Wageningen, The Netherlands.|Laboratory of Food Microbiology, Wageningen University, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands.|Wageningen UR Food & Biobased Research, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Alicja K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Warda
authors.affiliation: TI Food and Nutrition, 6700 AN Wageningen, The Netherlands.|Molecular Genetics Department, University of Groningen, 9700 AB Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Antonina O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Krawczyk
authors.affiliation: TI Food and Nutrition, 6700 AN Wageningen, The Netherlands.|Wageningen UR Food & Biobased Research, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Masja N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Nierop Groot
authors.affiliation: TI Food and Nutrition, 6700 AN Wageningen, The Netherlands.|Laboratory of Food Microbiology, Wageningen University, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Yinghua
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.affiliation: TI Food and Nutrition, 6700 AN Wageningen, The Netherlands.|Laboratory of Food Microbiology, Wageningen University, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Marcel H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Zwietering
authors.affiliation: TI Food and Nutrition, 6700 AN Wageningen, The Netherlands.|Molecular Genetics Department, University of Groningen, 9700 AB Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Oscar P
authors.initials: OP
authors.lastname: Kuipers
authors.affiliation: TI Food and Nutrition, 6700 AN Wageningen, The Netherlands.|Laboratory of Food Microbiology, Wageningen University, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Tjakko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Abee
mesh_terms: D001407:Bacillus / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D005511:Food Handling / Q000379:methods; D005516:Food Microbiology; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D013045:Species Specificity; D013171:Spores, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Bacillus; Clostridium; germination; heat resistance; predictive modeling; spore dormancy