Isolation and sources of ‘blown pack’ spoilage clostridia in beef abattoirs

Abstract

Aims: (i) To evaluate methods for isolation and molecular detection of blown pack spoilage (BPS) clostridia and (ii) to survey beef abattoirs for sources and distributions of Clostridium estertheticum and Cl. gasigenes. Methods and Results: Molecular detection and conventional isolation methods were used to detect and recover BPS associated clostridia (Cl. estertheticum and Cl. gasigenes), from four commercial Irish beef abattoirs and their environments, during a one year study. DNA‐based methods detected 218 Cl. estertheticum and 300 Cl. gasigenes, from 1680 samples, whereas culture‐methods only yielded 17 Cl. estertheticum and 176 Cl. gasigenes isolates. BPS Clostridia were frequently detected in beef abattoirs and their environments, especially at areas prior to hide removal. The study noted a higher percentage of positive samples during the month of May (38·6%). Conclusions: (i) DNA‐based techniques are the most reliable ways to determine the presence of these organisms in various samples and (ii) hides and faeces are the main reservoirs of BPS clostridia in the abattoirs. Significance and Impact of the Study: This paper provides useful information to detect BPS organisms, as well as to develop a science‐based control strategy of the problem.

Diversity of Culturable Psychrophilic and Psychrotrophic Anaerobic Bacteria Isolated from Beef Abattoirs and Their Environments

“…The most frequently isolated species were C. gasigenes, TC1, C. estertheticum, and C. algidixylanolyticum, all of which were previously detected in various locations in beef abattoirs in New Zealand (1,5) and, more recently, in Ireland (25). The current study is, however, the first to show that these species make up the majority of the psychrophilic and/or psychrotolerant anaerobic bacterial population in beef abattoirs and their environments.…”

“…The isolates (n ϭ 431) were strictly anaerobic psychrophilic or psychrotolerant bacteria recovered from various sites in four Irish beef abattoirs and their environments and from "blown packs" of beef, using cold (i.e., 4°C), long anaerobic enrichments (approximately 3 weeks) in nonspecific media, i.e., prereduced peptone yeast extract glucose starch (PYGS) medium (23) and Columbia blood agar (CBA; Oxoid Ltd., Basingstoke, United Kingdom) supplemented with 5% defibrinated horse blood, as previously described (25) T were purchased from the Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen GmbH (DSMZ, Braunschweig, Germany).…”

“…Such bacteria have been detected in beef abattoirs and their environments, including animal feces, hides, gastrointestinal tracts of animals, and soil, as well as sewage and water (1,5,7,25). During common abattoir operations, i.e., slaughter and dressing processes, there is a potential for these organisms to contaminate carcasses and derived meat products.…”

“…These species have been associated with "blown-pack" spoilage (BPS), which occurs in chilled (i.e., Ϫ1.5°C to 4°C) batches of vacuum-packaged meat within 2 to 4 weeks of storage and involves the production of large volumes of gas sufficient to produce severe pack distension, a putrid smell, and a metallic sheen on the affected meat (4,15,21,25,37). However, the prevalence of other pathogenic/spoilage psychrophilic or psychrotrophic anaerobic bacteria in beef abattoirs remains unknown.…”

“…Preliminary studies on the prevalence of psychrophilic and psychrotrophic bacteria in beef abattoirs focused on the PCR detection of the 16S rRNA gene of specific spoilage organisms, e.g., Clostridium gasigenes and Clostridium estertheticum (7,25). These species have been associated with "blown-pack" spoilage (BPS), which occurs in chilled (i.e., Ϫ1.5°C to 4°C) batches of vacuum-packaged meat within 2 to 4 weeks of storage and involves the production of large volumes of gas sufficient to produce severe pack distension, a putrid smell, and a metallic sheen on the affected meat (4,15,21,25,37).…”