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Toxin Production in Naturally Separated Liquid and Solid Components in Preparations of Heated Surface‐Ripened Cheese Inoculated with Clostridium botulinum
Author(s) -
GRECZ NICHOLAS,
DACK GAIL M.
Publication year - 1963
Publication title -
journal of food science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 150
eISSN - 1750-3841
pISSN - 0022-1147
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2621.1963.tb00196.x
Subject(s) - clostridium botulinum , toxin , chemistry , food science , solid surface , botulinum toxin , chromatography , liquid medium , biochemistry , biology , neuroscience , chemical physics
SUMMARY Occasional solid‐liquid separation of soft surface‐ripened cheese packed into test tubes was examined for differences between the components with regard to growth and toxin production of Clostridium botulinum. Botulinum toxin was found in three tubes showing liquid‐solid separation; in each case the toxin was present in the solid but absent from the liquid cheese portion. Two mechanisms were found to be responsible for the peculiar distribution of toxin in liquid‐solid separated cheese: 1) the liquid portion possessed antimicrobial activity preventing the growth of C. botulinum whereas the solid component was antimicrobially inactive; 2) the particles in the solid cheese were able to adsorb botulinum toxin, thus preventing diffusion of preformed toxin into the liquid layer. Separation into a solid and liquid layer could be achieved deliberately by increase of the moisture content of the cheese preparation, or by mixing of thoroughly ripened cheese with relatively fresh cheese. However, in these tubes the toxin—when present—was distributed in essentially equal quantities in the adjacent solid and liquid components.