A case of ‘blown pack’ spoilage of vacuum‐packaged pork likely associated with
            <i>Clostridium estertheticum</i>
            in Canada

Zhang, Peipei; Ward, Patrick; McMullen, Lynn M.; Yang, Xianqin

doi:10.1111/lam.13236

“…CEC includes diverse psychrophilic and anaerobic species that are commonly isolated from the meat processing environment, and are collectively recognized as a major cause of meat spoilage in chilled and vacuum-packed meat with C. estertheticum being regarded as the most important among the named CEC species ( Wambui and Stephan, 2019 ). Previously, C. estertheticum has been reported to cause BPS in a diverse range of meat including lamb, beef and pork ( Collins, 1992 ; Byrne et al, 2009 ; Zhang et al, 2020 ) but for the first time, we have shown here that it can also cause spoilage in horse meat ( Figure 1C ). Interestingly, we noted that C. estertheticum CM032, which caused BPS in beef, and CM033 and CM034, which caused BPS in horse meat samples, were clonal ( Supplementary Figure 3 ).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 47%

Unraveling the Genotypic and Phenotypic Diversity of the Psychrophilic Clostridium estertheticum Complex, a Meat Spoilage Agent

Wambui

¹

,

Stevens

²

,

Cernela

³

et al. 2022

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The spoilage of vacuum-packed meat by Clostridium estertheticum complex (CEC), which is accompanied by or without production of copious amounts of gas, has been linked to the acetone–butyrate–ethanol fermentation, but the mechanism behind the variable gas production has not been fully elucidated. The reconstruction and comparison of intra- and interspecies metabolic pathways linked to meat spoilage at the genomic level can unravel the genetic basis for the variable phenotype. However, this is hindered by unavailability of CEC genomes, which in addition, has hampered the determination of genetic diversity and its drivers within CEC. Therefore, the current study aimed at determining the diversity of CEC through comprehensive comparative genomics. Fifty CEC genomes from 11 CEC species were compared. Recombination and gene gain/loss events were identified as important sources of natural variation within CEC, with the latter being pronounced in genomospecies2 that has lost genes related to flagellar assembly and signaling. Pan-genome analysis revealed variations in carbohydrate metabolic and hydrogenases genes within the complex. Variable inter- and intraspecies gas production in meat by C. estertheticum and Clostridium tagluense were associated with the distribution of the [NiFe]-hydrogenase hyp gene cluster whose absence or presence was associated with occurrence or lack of pack distention, respectively. Through comparative genomics, we have shown CEC species exhibit high genetic diversity that can be partly attributed to recombination and gene gain/loss events. We have also shown genetic basis for variable gas production in meat can be attributed to the presence/absence of the hyp gene cluster.

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“…The samples with the highest spoilage scores were predominated by Clostridium, likely the species C. algidicarnis. In recent years, spoilage of vacuum-packed fresh meat, including beef, lamb, venison, and pork by psychrotrophic clostridia has been reported (40)(41)(42), and the spoilage is typically associated with copious amount of gas production, with C. estertheticum and, to some extent, C. gasigenes being the primary causative agents. C. algidicarnis has been associated with deep tissue spoilage of beef and lamb (43,44) and spoilage of vacuum-packed cooked pork (45).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Peroxyacetic Acid Spray and Storage Temperature on the Microbiota and Sensory Properties of Vacuum-Packed Subprimal Cuts of Meat

Yang

¹

,

Wang

²

,

Hrycauk

³

et al. 2021

Appl Environ Microbiol

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We investigated the impact of peroxyacetic acid (PAA; 200 ppm) spray on the microbiota and shelf life of commercial vacuum packed beef stored at chiller temperatures. Ribeye cuts (n=147) were collected from a local beef plant on the day of production for two consecutive days, with one set collected at the start of work with the PAA spray nozzles turned off (control) and during the routine production with the PAA spray nozzles turned on (PAA) on each day. Packs were stored at 4, 2 and -1°C for up to 34, 104 and 180 days, and sampled at appropriate intervals for sensory assessment, microbial enumeration and microbial profiling by 16S rRNA gene amplicon analysis. Treatment with PAA did not affect the initial meat pH, the initial numbers of total aerobes, lactic acid bacteria or Enterobacteriaceae (p>0.05) before storage; however, it delayed the onset of spoilage by 7, 21 and 54 days at 4, 2 and -1°C, respectively. Square root models of the variation of growth rate with temperature indicated lactic acid bacteria grew faster and Enterobacteriaceae grew slower on PAA treated than not treated meat. Negative associations between pH and deterioration of meat during storage were observed for PAA treated meat. During storage, the microbiota were primarily dominated by Carnobacterium and Lactobacillus/Lactococcus on control meat, but by Leuconostoc on PAA treated meat. Serratia, Yersinia and Clostridium were identified by LEfSe analysis as biomarkers for control meat, the latter of which was found in high abundance in samples that had the highest spoilage scores. IMPORTANCE The findings of this study show that PAA solutions applied at low concentrations under commercial settings positively modulated the meat microbiota. It did not have bactericidal effects for beef subprimals with very low microbial load. However, it differentially impacted the members of the microbiota, which resulted in delayed onset of spoilage of vacuum packed beef subprimal stored at all three temperatures (4, 2 and -1°C). This differential impact could be through one or a combination of the following factors: favoring the growth of lactic acid bacteria which may in turn exert a competitive exclusion that might be due to production of antimicrobial compounds such as organic acids and bacteriocins; exerting synergistic antimicrobial effects with low temperatures against members of Enterobacteriaceae; direct or indirect inhibitory effects against members of clostridia. These findings not only advance our understanding of the microbial ecology of vacuum packed meat stored at chiller temperatures, but also suggest bacteriostatic concentrations of antimicrobial interventions can be explored for shelf life extension.

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“…The genome sequences of the seven meat spoilage Clostridium strains [five strains previously isolated from New Zealand vacuum packed venison and lamb (FP1, FP2, FP3, FP4, M14) and two strains (C. estertheticum DSM 14864 T and DSM 8809 T ) from spoiled beef] were compared with the genome sequences of 33 other strains from the genus Clostridium previously sequenced by other institutes (Table S1, available in the online version of this article) [32][33][34][35][36][37]. All these genomes were re-annotated using Prokka v.1.13.3 [38].…”

Section: Genome Sequencesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Occurrence of genes encoding spore germination in Clostridium species that cause meat spoilage

Burgess

¹

,

Palevich

²

,

Gardner

³

et al. 2022

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Members of the genus Clostridium are frequently associated with meat spoilage. The ability for low numbers of spores of certain Clostridium species to germinate in cold-stored vacuum-packed meat can result in blown pack spoilage. However, little is known about the germination process of these clostridia, despite this characteristic being important for their ability to cause spoilage. This study sought to determine the genomic conditions for germination of 37 representative Clostridium strains from seven species ( C. estertheticum , C. tagluense , C. frigoris , C. gasigenes , C. putrefaciens , C. aligidicarnis and C. frigdicarnis) by comparison with previously characterized germination genes from C. perfringens , C. sporogenes and C. botulinum . All the genomes analysed contained at least one gerX operon. Seven different gerX operon configuration types were identified across genomes from C. estertheticum , C. tagluense and C. gasigenes . Differences arose between the C. gasigenes genomes and those belonging to C. tagluense / C. estertheticum in the number and type of genes coding for cortex lytic enzymes, suggesting the germination pathway of C. gasigenes is different. However, the core components of the germination pathway were conserved in all the Clostridium genomes analysed, suggesting that these species undergo the same major steps as Bacillus subtilis for germination to occur.

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A case of ‘blown pack’ spoilage of vacuum‐packaged pork likely associated with Clostridium estertheticum in Canada

Cited by 15 publications

References 43 publications

Unraveling the Genotypic and Phenotypic Diversity of the Psychrophilic Clostridium estertheticum Complex, a Meat Spoilage Agent

Unraveling the Genotypic and Phenotypic Diversity of the Psychrophilic Clostridium estertheticum Complex, a Meat Spoilage Agent

Effects of Peroxyacetic Acid Spray and Storage Temperature on the Microbiota and Sensory Properties of Vacuum-Packed Subprimal Cuts of Meat

Occurrence of genes encoding spore germination in Clostridium species that cause meat spoilage

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