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Issues related to spore-forming acidophilic bacteria, , are among the most serious problems facing the beverage industry in recent years. This book was written for the purpose of providing a compilation of currently available information about this concern, and it is hoped it will serve as a reference to inquiries on this issue from those involved in beverage production as well as the suppliers of major ingredients such as juice concentrates, liquid sugars and other additives.

The main historical facts related to are as follows: : Uchino and Doi of Nagoya University (Aichi Pref., Japan) reported the isolation of a spore-forming bacteria from a hot spring site near Lake Tazawa (Iwate Pref., Japan), that grew under acidic and geothermal conditions, and has very similar characteristics to ).

TAB, the abbreviation for “Thermo Acidophillic Bacilli (or Bacteria)” is the most widely utilized way to designate the bacteria belonging to genus , and while it is not an exact label for , it has come to be accepted as synonym. The designation adopted in Japanese is equivalent to “Thermo-tolerant Acidophillic Bacilli (or Bacteria)”, which is also abbreviated as TAB. Some moderately thermophilic acidophilic bacteria such as are included in the abbreviation, TAB, in a broader sense. Other abbreviations commonly used internationally are AAT for and BAT, the former name for . This is still used for some designations such as culture media. ATSB is sometimes seen as an abbreviation for “Acido-thermophilic Spore-forming Bacteria”, but is rarely used in Japan. Recently, ACB has been used as the abbreviation of worldwide. These abbreviations are routinely used in language related to quality control and assurance. When a species and/or strain name is clearly specified or used for technical purposes, the scientific name of the microorganism is adopted. Although somewhat confusing, these are the current designations in use. The abbreviations used in this book follow those of the original papers.

Since 1982 when incidents of deterioration due to (later identified as ) occurred in Germany), more than 40 different test methods to detect have been developed worldwide. This can partly be attributed to the thermophilic and acidophilic characteristics of which make cultivation of the bacteria so difficult. Sensitivity and precision varies among the methods. Differences between the test results obtained in the country of production and those obtained after the importation of the product, has generated commercial conflicts. This situation is also influenced by differences among countries in perceptions regarding thermo-acidophilic bacteria and the commercial damage caused by them. In 2001, the IFU (International Federation of Fruit Juice Producers, Paris, France), began international cooperative efforts towards standardization of the methods for detecting thermo-acidophilic bacteria (). These efforts resulted in publication of the “First Standard IFU-Method on the Detection in Fruit Juices” in April 2003. Later, a revision of the IFU method, entitled “Method on the Detection of taint producing in Fruit Juices, revision 1” was published in September 2004 (IFU Handbook Microbiological Methods, Method No.12).

Over the past few years, various methods have been developed for the differentiation and identification of . These methods are described in sections 5–2 to 5–13. The details of each method are provided however the methods differ slightly from each other in sensitivity and performance. Therefore it is very important to have a clear idea of the desired objective before selecting the analytical method to be applied. For example, the peroxidase method is effective for the detection of guaiacol and the differentiation of guaiacol producing species (5–2). The 16S rRNA gene (16S rDNA) sequence comparison method is effective for species identification (5–4), and ribotyping is the preferred method for identification at the strain level (5–7).

Since the discovery of as the odor-producing agent in fruit juice, and with the development of more sensitive and reliable methodologies for its detection, the behavior of in fruit juices is gradually becoming clearer. To date, it is known that the growth of in fruit juices can be directly or indirectly influenced by temperature, pH and available oxygen (redox potential). In addition, other factors that can impact growth are the type and amount of nutrients present and naturally occurring antimicrobial compounds present in the juice. In this chapter, these factors will be discussed in detail.

Improvement in the detection of species has lead to many more reports of the isolation of from various environments, including spoiled fruit juices. The accumulation of these case studies has provided us with more extensive epidemiological information. In the course of investigating the cause of such cases and identifying appropriate measures to eliminate them, we have come to a better understanding of the characteristics of with regard to beverage production. This chapter describes the epidemiology of , in relation to their distribution in soil environments (primary distribution), then the secondary distribution in fruit juice or the manufacturing environment.

To date, many isolates have been derived mainly from soil and hot springs –). However, since a major spoilage incident of apple juice by in Germany, 1982 ), the bacteria has been isolated from various food grade fruit juices ,–). contamination of fruit juices is typically introduced via soil residue remaining on the fruit surface ). Similarly, contamination of refined sugar is introduced from raw plant material , ). contaminations are not limited to these mentioned above , ), and they pose serious problems for the food industry because adaptive countermeasures are not presently in place. In this chapter, reasons for spoilage due to and effective preventative measures as reported so far are discussed with regard to materials, production, products and distribution.

This chapter introduces public organizations that conduct investigations and research on , in various regions and countries, and indicates their research interests and work. Addresses of contact personnel, however, are not stated.