An Industry Perspective:
Alicyclobacillus, the Hedgehog, and the Fox
International Citrus and Beverage Conference 2010
Sean Leighton
The Coca-Cola Company
The fox knows many things, but the
hedgehog knows one big thing.
Archilochus (7th-century b.c.e.)
Alicyclobacillus sp. (“TAB”, “ATB”, etc.)
• Gram-positive, rod-shaped, spore-forming
bacteria (destain easily)
• “Thermoacidophilic” characteristics
• Growth occurs under aerobic and facultative
conditions at 45⁰C (35-65⁰C) and pH 3.0 (2.0-6.0)
• No spore production under anaerobic conditions
• Specific growth conditions are species and strain
specific
• Non-pathogenic
Tales from the TAB
Tales from the TAB – Part 1
Tales from the TAB – Part 2
Tales from the TAB – Part 3
Tales from the TAB – Part 3, cont.
Species Source pH Range (°C) Guiacol?
A. acidocaldarius Acid 2.0-6.0 45-70 No
A. acidiphilus Acidic beverages 2.5-5.5 20-55 No
A.acidoterrestris Apple juice 2.5-5.5 20-55 Yes, some strains
A.cycloheptanicus Soil 2.5-5.5 42-53 No
A.herbarius Herbal Tea 3.5-6.0 35-65 No
A.pomorum Fruit Juice 3.0-6.0 30-60 No
A.sendaiensis Soil 2.5-6.5 40-65 No
A.vulcanalis Geothermal pool 2.0-6.0 35-65 No
Tales from the TAB – Part 4
Strain D (minutes) Z (⁰C) Matrix
A.acidoterrestris D85°C 56; D90°C 23; D95°C 7.7 Apple Juice
2.8
A.acidoterrestris D85°C 57; D90°C 16; 7.2 Grape Juice
D95°C2.4
A.acidoterrestris D88°C 11; D91°C 3.8; D95°C 7.2 Juice
1.0
A.acidoterrestris D95°C 2.2-3.3 6.4-7.5 Orange Juice Drink
A.acidoterrestris D91°C 31.3; D97°C 7.9 10.0 Malic Acid (0.45), pH
3.1
A.acidoterrestris D88°C 81.2; D100°C 0.8 5.9 MA pH 3.4
A.acidoterrestris D91°C 54.3; D97°C 8.8 7.7 MA pH 3.7
A.acidoterrestris D91°C 46.1; D97°C 8.2 8.5 Citric Acid pH 3.1
A.acidoterrestris D91°C 57.9; D97°C 10.8 8.2 Citric Acid pH 3.7
A.acidoterrestris D91°C 49.1; D97°C 8.4 7.9 Tartaric Acid pH 3.1
Pontius, A. J., J. E. Rushing, and P. M. Foegeding. 1998. Heat resistance of Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris spores as
affected by various pH values and organic acids. J. Food Protection 61:41-46.
Intervention Strategy(s)
Intervention strategies
Processors of 100% juices often choose to rely
on thermal treatments as the only hurdle for
the production of a high quality finished
product
Intervention strategies
Processors of 100% juices often choose to rely
on the thermal process as the only hurdle for
the production of a high quality finished
product
Intervention strategies
1. Good Agricultural Practices. Organisms do
not spontaneously generate in the orange
juice.
Intervention strategies
1. Good Agricultural Practices. The organism
does not spontaneously generate in the
orange juice.
2. Good manufacturing processes – crush/juice
facilities. Environmental samples (n=431, 5
packaging plants) have revealed TAB in the
drains only; recycled condensate water.
Intervention strategies
1. Good Agricultural Practices. The organism
does not spontaneously generate in the
orange juice.
2. Good manufacturing processes – crush/juice
facilities. Environmental samples (n=431, 5
packaging plants) have revealed TAB in the
drains only; recycled condensate water.
3. Product formulation. “Preservatives”, pH,
package, storage temperature (frozen?).
Intervention strategies
1. Good Agricultural Practices. The organism does
not spontaneously generate in the orange juice.
2. Good manufacturing processes – crush/juice
facilities. Environmental samples (n=431, 5
packaging plants) have revealed TAB in the
drains only; recycled condensate water.
3. Product formulation. “Preservatives”, pH,
package, storage temperature (frozen?).
4. Thermal Process. Even a 0.1 log reduction,
reduces.
Tales from the TAB – Part 4, revisited
Strain D (minutes) Z (⁰C) Matrix
A.acidoterrestris D85°C 56; D90°C 23; D95°C 7.7 Apple Juice
2.8
A.acidoterrestris D85°C 57; D90°C 16; 7.2 Grape Juice
D95°C2.4
A.acidoterrestris D88°C 11; D91°C 3.8; D95°C 7.2 Juice
1.0
A.acidoterrestris D95°C 2.2-3.3 6.4-7.5 Orange Juice Drink
A.acidoterrestris D91°C 31.3; D97°C 7.9 10.0 Malic Acid (0.45), pH
3.1
A.acidoterrestris D88°C 81.2; D100°C 0.8 5.9 MA pH 3.4
A.acidoterrestris D91°C 54.3; D97°C 8.8 7.7 MA pH 3.7
A.acidoterrestris D91°C 46.1; D97°C 8.2 8.5 Citric Acid pH 3.1
A.acidoterrestris D91°C 57.9; D97°C 10.8 8.2 Citric Acid pH 3.7
A.acidoterrestris D91°C 49.1; D97°C 8.4 7.9 Tartaric Acid pH 3.1
Pontius, A. J., J. E. Rushing, and P. M. Foegeding. 1998. Heat resistance of Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris spores as
affected by various pH values and organic acids. J. Food Protection 61:41-46.
106
105
104
103
102
101
100
10-1
10-2
10-3
10-4
10-5
10-6 Classified - Internal use
D-Value
104
Process =203⁰F
103
D-value: Minutes to
1 log reduce the microbial
reduction population by 1-log
102
D203F = 2.8 minutes
101
100 Classified - Internal use
Minutes
D-Value
104
Process =95⁰C
103
z-value: 8⁰C
1 log
reduction
102
D103C = 0.28 minutes
= 16.8 seconds
101
100 Classified - Internal use
Minutes
106
105
104
103
102
101
100
10-1
10-2
10-3
10-4
10-5
10-6 Classified - Internal use
Intervention strategies
1. Good Agricultural Practices. The organism does not
spontaneously generate in the orange juice.
2. Good manufacturing processes – crush/juice
facilities. Environmental samples (n=431, 5 packaging
plants) have revealed TAB in the drains only; recycled
condensate water.
3. Product formulation. “Preservatives”, pH, package,
storage temperature (frozen?).
4. Thermal Process. Even a 0.1 log reduction, reduces.
Monitor the effectiveness of the above measures
using microbiological analyses of statistically sound
sample sizes
Questions?
