Observing the growth habitsof Bacillus Species in non-alcoholic beverages
Reports from the beverage industry of contaminations with spore-forming, rod-shaped bacteria strains belonging to the genus Bacillus are becoming more and more prevalent. These bacteria primarily require oxygen in order to reproduce and sporulate. Therefore, it is plausible that the uptake of oxygen during storage creates the perfect conditions for growth. Suitable growth conditions could potentially encourage any spores present in the packaged product to germinate into vegetative cells, which in turn could cause spoilage of the contents. As the majority of non-alcoholic beverages are usually low in pH, acid-tolerant Bacillus strains would have an advantage over other microorganisms. Within the scope of a research thesis, the growth characteristics of four acidophilic Bacillus species in various beverages were investigated.
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