Spoilage of an acid food product by Clostridium perfringens, C. barati and C. butyricum.

Spoilage of canned pasteurized brined mung bean sprouts, acidified with citric acid to pH 4.0-4.5, was found to be caused by acid tolerant Clostridium spp. including the species barati, perfringens and butyricum. The pH limit for growth in the brine used were estimated 3.7, 3.7 and 4.0 respectively. Some of the isolated C. perfringens strains produced enterotoxins in sporulation media. The spores of the isolated anaerobes appeared to originate from mung beans, but C. barati and C. perfringens strains freshly isolated from dry beans, were unable to grow in acidified brine. During germination and sprouting of mung beans, the oxygen concentration decreased, while carbon dioxide concentration increased considerably, due to respiration of the sprouts and actively growing Enterobacteriaceae and lactobacilli. It was assumed that this allowed C. barati and C. perfringens strains to grow and acquire the observed unusual acid tolerance. After increasing aerobicity during sprouting, no growth of Clostridium spp. was observed, substantiating the assumption.