The growth of three strains of Listeria monocytogenes at refrigeration temperatures (-0.5 to 9.3 degrees C) in chicken broth and/or UHT milk was determined using a rocking temperature gradient incubator. Minimum growth temperatures ranged from -0.1 to -0.4 degree C for the three strains. Lag times of 1-3 d and 3 to greater than 34 d were observed with incubation at 5 and 0 degrees C respectively. Corresponding generation times ranged from 13-24 h at 5 degrees C and 62-131 h at 0 degree C. The type of culture medium had an influence on both the rate and extent of growth. Incubation of cultures at 4 degrees C before inoculation caused a marked reduction in the lag time when compared with cultures which had been previously incubated at 30 degrees C.

Rose Bengal was cytotoxic to the following bacteria at the concentrations given in parentheses (highest concentrations of dye in mol/l at which growth occurred on nutrient medium): Brochothrix thermosphacta and Deinococcus radiodurans (1 X 10(-6) or less); Streptococcus, Micrococcus, Staphylococcus, Bacillus, Arthrobacter and Kurthia spp. (1 X 10(-5)-1 X 10(-4], and Pseudomonas spp. and Enterobacteriaceae (5 X 10(-3)-1 X 10(-2) or greater). These organisms were killed rapidly when suspended in illuminated (170 microE/m2/s) solutions of Rose Bengal (1 X 10(-4) mol/l) providing oxygen was present. Singlet oxygen was identified as the lethal agent, because the rate of killing was increased by dissolving the dye in deuterium oxide while the organism were protected against photoinactivation by L-histidine or crocetin. Yeasts from chilled foods were killed in illuminated solutions of Rose Bengal but a light intensity of 315 microE/m2/s was needed for a death rate comparable with that of bacteria. The yeasts present in a range of chilled meat and dairy products failed to form colonies on Rose Bengal (5 X 10(-5) mol/l) media exposed continuously to modest illumination (55-80 microE/m2/s).

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Computer assisted numerical analysis was done on 182 characters for each of 107 strains, including 79 Gram-positive, catalase-positive, facultatively anaerobic cocci from 14 different types of fermented sausage offered for retail sale in the UK. The majority of meat isolates was identified with Staphylococcus xylosus (38%), suprophyticus (29%) or wurneri (10%); eight isolates were left unassigned to a species. The identification matrix derived from these data provided the basis for objective differentiation of isolates from fermented meats.